Palliative care for cancer patients is found to be as effective given virtually as in person

Palliative care for cancer patients is found to be as effective given virtually as in person
STAT; by Angus Chen; 6/2/24
Comfort can be delivered to patients with advanced cancer virtually just as well as in person, according to a new study presented on Sunday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago. That’s welcome news to palliative care experts who have, in many cases, preferred the convenience and efficacy of telehealth sessions for both themselves and their patients since the Covid-19 pandemic forced virtual visits. ... Palliative care experts are also looking at other ways to help more patients get seen. In another abstract presented at ASCO in Chicago and published in JAMA by MGH’s Temel, she showed the frequency of palliative care visits could be stepped down for patients with fewer physical or emotional symptoms — also without any loss in palliative care efficacy.