Community-Based Telehealth Approach Improves Specialist Access for Individuals with Increased Cancer Risk in Low-Resource Settings
Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Subjects
2.2. Protocol
2.3. Telehealth Specialist Visit
2.4. Telehealth System
2.5. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Stathopoulos, P.; Smith, W.P. Analysis of survival rates following primary surgery of 178 consecutive patients with oral cancer in a large district general hospital. J. Maxillofac. Oral Surg. 2017, 16, 158–163. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Massano, J.; Regateiro, F.S.; Januário, G.; Ferreira, A. Oral squamous cell carcinoma: Review of prognostic and predictive factors. Oral Surg. Oral Med. Oral Pathol. Oral Radiol. Endod. 2006, 102, 67–76. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ragin, C.C.R.; Modugno, F.; Gollin, S.M. The epidemiology and risk factors of head and neck cancer: A focus on human papillomavirus. J. Dent. Res. 2007, 86, 104–114. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Murphy, C.T.; Galloway, T.J.; Handorf, E.A.; Egleston, B.L.; Wang, L.S.; Mehra, R.; Flieder, D.B.; Ridge, J.A. Survival Impact of Increasing Time to Treatment Initiation for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer in the United States. J. Clin. Oncol. 2016, 34, 169–178. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- McGurk, M.; Chan, C.; Jones, J.; O’Regan, E.; Sherriff, M. Delay in Diagnosis and Its Effect on Outcome in Head and Neck Cancer. Br. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 2005, 43, 281–284. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- van Dijk, C.E.; de Jong, J.D.; Verheij, R.A.; Jansen, T.; Korevaar, J.C.; de Bakker, D.H. Compliance with Referrals to Medical Specialist Care: Patient and General Practice Determinants: A Cross-Sectional Study. BMC Fam. Pract. 2016, 17, 11. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Deckard, G.J.; Borkowski, N.; Diaz, D.; Sanchez, C.; Boisette, S.A. Improving Timeliness and Efficiency in the Referral Process for Safety Net Providers: Application of the Lean Six Sigma Methodology. J. Ambul. Care Manag. 2010, 33, 124–130. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Forrest, C.B.; Shadmi, E.; Nutting, P.A.; Starfield, B. Specialty Referral Completion among Primary Care Patients: Results from the ASPN Referral Study. Ann. Fam. Med. 2007, 5, 361–367. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- World Health Organization. WHO Highlights Oral Health Neglect Affecting Nearly Half of the World’s Population. Available online: https://www.who.int/news/item/18-11-2022-who-highlights-oral-health-neglect-affecting-nearly-half-of-the-world-s-population (accessed on 2 November 2024).
- Warnakulasuriya, S.; Johnson, N.W.; Waal, I.V.D. Nomenclature and classification of potentially malignant disorders of the oral mucosa. J. Oral Pathol. Med. 2007, 36, 575–580. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Conway, D.I.; Petticrew, M.; Marlborough, H.; Berthiller, J.; Hashibe, M.; Macpherson, L.M. Socioeconomic inequalities and oral cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies. Int. J. Cancer 2008, 122, 2811–2819. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Patel, M.P.; Schettini, P.; O’leary, C.P.; Bosworth, H.B.; Anderson, J.B.; Shah, K.P. Closing the Referral Loop: An Analysis of Primary Care Referrals to Specialists in a Large Health System. J. Gen. Intern. Med. 2018, 33, 715–721. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Widdifield, J.; Bernatsky, S.; Thorne, J.C.; Bombardier, C.; Jaakkimainen, R.L.; Wing, L.; Paterson, J.M.; Ivers, N.; Butt, D.; Lyddiatt, A.; et al. Wait Times to Rheumatology Care for Patients with Rheumatic Diseases: A Data Linkage Study of Primary Care Electronic Medical Records and Administrative Data. Can. Med. Assoc. J. Open 2016, 4, E205–E212. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Silva, T.; Kadakia, N.; Aribo, C.; Gochi, A.; Kim, G.Y.; Solomon, N.; Molkara, A.; Molina, D.C.; Plasencia, A.; Lum, S.S. Compliance with Surgical Oncology Specialty Care at a Safety Net Facility. Am. Surg. 2021, 87, 1545–1550. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Bourguet, C.; Gilchrist, V.; McCord, G. The Consultation and Referral Process. A Report from NEON. Northeastern Ohio Network Research Group. J. Fam. Pract. 1998, 46, 47–53. [Google Scholar]
- Vukmir, R.B.; Kremen, R.; Dehart, D.A.; Menegazzi, J. Compliance with Emergency Department Patient Referral. Am. J. Emerg. Med. 1992, 10, 413–417. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Saglam-Aydinatay, B.; Uysal, S.; Taner, T. Facilitators and Barriers to Referral Compliance among Dental Patients with Increased Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Acta Odontol. Scand. 2018, 76, 86–91. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- McMahon, S.R.; Ades, P.A.; Thompson, P.D. The Role of Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients with Heart Disease. Trends Cardiovasc. Med. 2017, 27, 420–425. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Nguyen, J.; Takesh, T.; Parsangi, N.; Song, B.; Liang, R.; Wilder-Smith, P. Compliance with Specialist Referral for Increased Cancer Risk in Low-Resource Settings: In-Person vs. Telehealth Options. Cancers 2023, 15, 2775. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Weiner, M.; El Hoyek, G.; Wang, L.; Dexter, P.R.; Zerr, A.D.; Perkins, A.J.; James, F.; Juneja, R. A Web-Based Generalist–Specialist System to Improve Scheduling of Outpatient Specialty Consultations in an Academic Center. J. Gen. Intern. Med. 2009, 24, 710–715. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Shanti, R.M.; Stoopler, E.T.; Weinstein, G.S.; Newman, J.G.; Cannady, S.B.; Rajasekaran, K.; Tanaka, T.I.; O’Malley, B.W.; Le, A.D.; Sollecito, T.P. Considerations in the Evaluation and Management of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Head Neck 2020, 42, 1497–1502. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Nguyen, J.; Yang, S.; Melnikova, A.; Abouakl, M.; Lin, K.; Takesh, T.; Wink, C.; Le, A.; Messadi, D.; Osann, K.; et al. Novel Approach to Improving Specialist Access in Underserved Populations with Suspicious Oral Lesions. Curr. Oncol. 2023, 30, 1046–1053. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Haydon, H.M.; Caffery, L.J.; Snoswell, C.L.; Thomas, E.E.; Taylor, M.; Budge, M.; Probert, J.; Smith, A.C. Optimising Specialist Geriatric Medicine Services by Telehealth. J. Telemed. Telecare 2021, 27, 674–679. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- De Guzman, K.R.; Caffery, L.J.; Smith, A.C.; Snoswell, C.L. Specialist Consultation Activity and Costs in Australia: Before and after the Introduction of COVID-19 Telehealth Funding. J. Telemed. Telecare 2021, 27, 609–614. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Chowdhury, D.; Hope, K.D.; Arthur, L.C.; Weinberger, S.M.; Ronai, C.; Johnson, J.N.; Snyder, C.S. Telehealth for Pediatric Cardiology Practitioners in the Time of COVID-19. Pediatr. Cardiol. 2020, 41, 1081–1091. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Doraiswamy, S.; Abraham, A.; Mamtani, R.; Cheema, S. Use of Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review. J. Med. Internet Res. 2020, 22, e24087. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- DeNicola, N.; Grossman, D.; Marko, K.; Sonalkar, S.; Butler Tobah, Y.S.; Ganju, N.; Witkop, C.T.; Henderson, J.T.; Butler, J.L.; Lowery, C. Telehealth Interventions to Improve Obstetric and Gynecologic Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Obstet. Gynecol. 2020, 135, 371–382. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Forrest, C.B.; Glade, G.B.; Baker, A.E.; Bocian, A.; von Schrader, S.; Starfield, B. Coordination of Specialty Referrals and Physician Satisfaction with Referral Care. Arch. Pediatr. Adolesc. Med. 2000, 154, 499. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Gurgel-Juarez, N.; Torres-Pereira, C.; Haddad, A.E.; Sheehy, L.; Finestone, H.; Mallet, K.; Wiseman, M.; Hour, K.; Flowers, H.L. Accuracy and Effectiveness of Teledentistry: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews. Evid.-Based Dent. 2022, 1–8. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sardella, A.; Demarosi, F.; Lodi, G.; Canegallo, L.; Rimondini, L.; Carrassi, A. Accuracy of referrals to a specialist oral medicine unit by general medical and dental practitioners and the educational implications. J. Dent. Educ. 2007, 71, 487–491. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Epstein, J.B.; Güneri, P.; Boyacioglu, H.; Abt, E. The limitations of the clinical oral examination in detecting dysplastic oral lesions and oral squamous cell carcinoma. J. Am. Dent. Assoc. 2012, 143, 1332–1342. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chen, N.; Liu, P. Assessing Elderly User Preference for Telehealth Solutions in China: Exploratory Quantitative Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2022, 10, e27272. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sepúlveda-Loyola, W.; Rodríguez-Sánchez, I.; Pérez-Rodríguez, P.; Ganz, F.; Torralba, R.; Oliveira, D.V.; Rodríguez-Mañas, L. Impact of social isolation due to COVID-19 on health in older people: Mental and physical effects and recommendations. J. Nutr. Health Aging 2020, 1, 938–947. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Available online: https://www.statista.com/statistics/489255/percentage-of-us-smartphone-owners-by-age-group/ (accessed on 4 October 2024).
- Hawley, C.E.; Genovese, N.; Owsiany, M.T.; Triantafylidis, L.K.; Moo, L.R.; Linsky, A.M.; Sullivan, J.L.; Paik, J.M. Rapid integration of home telehealth visits amidst COVID-19: What do older adults need to succeed? J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 2020, 68, 2431–2439. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Phillips, N.A.; Chertkow, H.; Pichora-Fuller, M.K.; Wittich, W. Special issues on using the montreal cognitive assessment for telemedicine assessment during COVID-19. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 2020, 68, 942–944. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- van den Berg, N.; Schumann, M.; Kraft, K.; Hoffmann, W. Telemedicine and telecare for older patients—A systematic review. Maturitas 2012, 73, 94–114. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- New York Times. “Is TeleMedicine Here to Stay?”. Available online: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/health/covid-telemedicine-congress.html (accessed on 2 November 2024).
- FAIR Health Study Analyzes Telehealth. Available online: https://www.fairhealth.org/article/fair-health-study-analyzes-telehealth (accessed on 2 November 2024).
- Agarwal, A.K.; Sethi, A.; Sareen, D.; Dhingra, S. Treatment Delay in Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer in Our Population: The Role of Socio-Economic Factors and Health-Seeking Behaviour. Indian J. Otolaryngol. Head. Neck Surg. 2011, 63, 145–150. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Silverman, S. Early Diagnosis of Oral Cancer. Cancer 1988, 62, 1796–1799. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Silverman, S., Jr.; Gorsky, M.; Lozada, F. Oral Leukoplakia and Malignant Transformation. A Follow-up Study of 257 Patients. Cancer 1984, 53, 563–568. [Google Scholar]
- Alston, P.A.; Knapp, J.; Luomanen, J.C. Who Will Tend the Dental Safety Net? J. Calif. Dent. Assoc. 2014, 42, 112–118. [Google Scholar]
- Gupta, P.C.; Mehta, F.S.; Daftary, D.K.; Pindborg, J.J.; Bhonsle, R.B.; Jalnawalla, P.N.; Sinor, P.N.; Pitkar, V.K.; Murti, P.R.; Irani, R.R.; et al. Incidence Rates of Oral Cancer and Natural History of Oral Precancerous Lesions in a 10-Year Follow-up Study of Indian Villagers. Community Dent. Oral Epidemiol. 1980, 8, 287–333. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Remote Specialist Visit | In-Person Specialist Visit | |
---|---|---|
Mean Age (Years) | 61 | 56 |
Age Range (Years) | 32–76 | 38–69 |
Median Age (Years) | 58 | 53 |
Asian | 6 | 3 |
Pacific Islander | 0 | 1 |
White Non-Hispanic | 5 | 4 |
White Hispanic | 9 | 6 |
African American | 2 | 1 |
Mixed Race | 2 | 1 |
Female | 10 | 5 |
Male | 14 | 11 |
Total | 24 | 16 |
Remote Specialist | In-Person Specialist | Total | |
---|---|---|---|
n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |
Requested Interpreter | 7/24 (29.2%) | 6/16 (37.5%) | 13/40 (32.5%) |
Non-Native English Speaker | 16/24 (66.7%) | 10/16 (62.5%) | 26/40 (65%) |
Brought Family Members | 24/24 (100%) | 16/16 (100%) | 40/40 (100%) |
Needed Transportation | 8/24 (33.3%) | 11/16 (68.75%) | 19/40 (47.5%) |
Help with Family Care | 2/24 (8.3%) | 2/16 (12.5%) | 4/40 (10%) |
Mean Travel Time to Specialist Appointment | 26 min | 67 min | |
Mean Specialist Visit Duration (plus Telehealth Training) | 32 min | 26 min |
Remote Specialist | In-Person Specialist | Remote vs. In-Person Comparison (Sig: p-Value) | Total | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
n (%) | n (%) | p-Value | p-Value Summary | ||
Compliance with Specialist Referral @ First Appointment | 16/24 (66.7%) | 3/16 (18.6%) | 0.0006 | Sig. | 19/40 (47.5%) |
Compliance with Specialist Referral within 3 Months, but After Missed First Appointment | 4/24 (16.7%) | 4/16 (25%) | 0.6905 | N.S. | 8/40 (20%) |
Total Compliance with Specialist Referral within 3 Months | 20/24 (83.3%) | 7/16 (43.6%) | 0.0154 | Sig. | 27/40 (67.5%) |
Mean Patient Satisfaction (Out of 10) with Specialist Visit | 8.7/10(87%) | 6.9/10(69%) | 0.0116 | Sig. | N.A. |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Alp, A.; Doud, W.; Doud, C.; Takesh, T.; Wink, C.; Miranda-Hoover, A.; Foote, J.; Liang, R.; Messadi, D.V.; Le, A.; et al. Community-Based Telehealth Approach Improves Specialist Access for Individuals with Increased Cancer Risk in Low-Resource Settings. Cancers 2025, 17, 1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17081317
Alp A, Doud W, Doud C, Takesh T, Wink C, Miranda-Hoover A, Foote J, Liang R, Messadi DV, Le A, et al. Community-Based Telehealth Approach Improves Specialist Access for Individuals with Increased Cancer Risk in Low-Resource Settings. Cancers. 2025; 17(8):1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17081317
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlp, Aksel, Winston Doud, Christian Doud, Thair Takesh, Cherie Wink, Annachristine Miranda-Hoover, Joseph Foote, Rongguang Liang, Diana V. Messadi, Anh Le, and et al. 2025. "Community-Based Telehealth Approach Improves Specialist Access for Individuals with Increased Cancer Risk in Low-Resource Settings" Cancers 17, no. 8: 1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17081317
APA StyleAlp, A., Doud, W., Doud, C., Takesh, T., Wink, C., Miranda-Hoover, A., Foote, J., Liang, R., Messadi, D. V., Le, A., & Wilder-Smith, P. (2025). Community-Based Telehealth Approach Improves Specialist Access for Individuals with Increased Cancer Risk in Low-Resource Settings. Cancers, 17(8), 1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17081317