# Optimizing telehealth across the cancer care continuum during the COVID-19 national emergency

> **NIH NIH P30** · THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $390,000

## Abstract

Our experience with telehealth proved essential for current coping with the COVID-19 crisis, in that we were able to rapidly scale our activities. The result of these ramp up activities was of high impact—not only were we able to limit exposure of vulnerable cancer patients to COVID by keeping them out of the clinics, but we were able to reduce patient density (and therefore exposure) for all patients undergoing active treatment. Moreover, telehealth is also being used to ensure that any cancer clinical trial deemed essential by a care provider and all cancer trials with curative intent remain open at SKCC. At present, telehealth is being used for 3 major purposes: 1) pre-visit consultations to discuss care plans, given limits on visitors and caregivers in the clinic; 2) follow-up visits for all suitable patients, especially wherein lab testing and imaging can be completed off site and 3) visits with oncologist-social worker teams, given the high anxiety associated with cancer care in the backdrop of the COVID crisis. Given the natural experiment that resulted in increased telehealth use in cancer care delivery due to the COVID-19 emergency, it is our hypothesis that telehealth enhances the quality of oncology care by improving patient outcomes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10160125
- **Project number:** 3P30CA056036-21S2
- **Recipient organization:** THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** KAREN E KNUDSEN
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $390,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 1995-06-22 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10160125

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10160125, Optimizing telehealth across the cancer care continuum during the COVID-19 national emergency (3P30CA056036-21S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10160125. Licensed CC0.

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