METHODS: We collected information on teleconsultations of cancer patients conducted from 2015 to 2022 through the regional telemedicine platform. Utilizing SPSS 23.0 software, we conducted descriptive analysis to summarize the distribution of patient gender, age, region, and disease types. The ordinal logistic regression analysis was adopted to analyze the factors influencing the waiting time and consultation duration for teleconsultations.
RESULTS: From 2015 to 2022, a total of 23,060 teleconsultations were conducted for cancer patients via regional telemedicine platform, with an average growth rate of 11.09%. The main types of consultations were for lung cancer, liver cancer, and breast cancer, accounting for 18.14%, 10.49%, and 9.46% respectively. 57.05% of teleconsultations had a waiting time of less than 24 h, while patient age, consultation expert level, and disease type were the main factors influencing the waiting time. 50.06% of teleconsultations had a duration of more than 20 min, and the inviting hospital level and the title of invited consultant were the main factors influencing the consultation duration.
CONCLUSIONS: In China, telemedicine has been widely employed in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of cancers, covering various types of oncological diseases. However, the waiting time for teleconsultations was generally more than 12 h, indicating the need to enhance consultation scheduling and allocate more expert resources to further optimize the efficiency of teleconsultations. Additionally, further exploration is required for remote health management of outpatients with cancers outside the hospital.
方法:我们收集了2015年至2022年通过区域远程医疗平台进行的癌症患者远程咨询的信息。利用SPSS23.0软件,我们进行了描述性分析,总结了患者性别的分布,年龄,区域,和疾病类型。采用有序logistic回归分析影响远程会诊等待时间和会诊时间的因素。
结果:从2015年到2022年,通过区域远程医疗平台为癌症患者进行了23,060次远程咨询,平均增长率为11.09%。主要的会诊类型是肺癌,肝癌,和乳腺癌,占18.14%,10.49%,和9.46%。57.05%的远程会诊等待时间少于24小时,而患者年龄,咨询专家级,和疾病类型是影响等待时间的主要因素。50.06%的远程会诊持续时间超过20分钟,邀请医院级别和邀请顾问职称是影响咨询持续时间的主要因素。
结论:在中国,远程医疗已广泛应用于癌症的临床诊断和治疗,涵盖各种类型的肿瘤疾病。然而,电话会诊的等待时间一般在12小时以上,指出需要加强咨询安排和分配更多专家资源,以进一步优化远程咨询的效率。此外,院外癌症门诊患者的远程健康管理需要进一步探索。