Patient perspectives and experiences of the rapid implementation of digital consultations during COVID-19 — a qualitative study among women with gynecological cancer
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Purpose: Due to the first COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent restrictions, standard practice for gynecological cancer quickly evolved to include additional digital consultations. Women with gynecological cancer have a high need for information and experience a high symptom burden. We aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of the rapid implementation of digital consultations during COVID-19. Methods: We conducted individual telephone interviews with patients with gynecological cancer 1–4 days after a telephone or video consultation during the COVID-19 outbreak in April and May 2020. We applied Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis to analyze the qualitative data. Results: Thirty-two patients with ovarian (50%), cervical (35%), vulvar (12%), and vaginal cancer (3%) participated in the study. The patients experienced that, combined, cancer and COVID-19 restrictions made their situation twice as challenging. In general, the patients valued face-to-face consultations, recommending that they were ideal for the initial appointment to build trust. Overall, there was a willingness to participate in digital consultations because of the restrictions, but the results also showed varying degrees of openness and that individual solutions were favored. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that digital consultations were an accepted alternative during COVID-19. Even though this temporary solution was deemed to be beneficial for practical reasons, patients also experienced digital consultations to be impersonal. A key message is that face–to–face encounters create the foundation to establish a trusting relationship from where a valuable dialogue arises. Digital consultations should therefore be implemented with caution since no one-size-fits-all model is recommended. Among patients with gynecological cancer, however, digital technologies represent a promising and flexible method depending on the purpose of consultations, patient preferences, and needs.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Supportive Care in Cancer |
Volume | 30 |
Pages (from-to) | 2545–2554 |
ISSN | 0941-4355 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
- COVID-19, Digital consultations, Gynecological cancer, Patient perspective, Telephone consultation, Video consultation
Research areas
Links
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8601371/pdf/520_2021_Article_6651.pdf
Final published version
ID: 285872996