Cancer patients get virtual followup visits in pilot project
Prostate treatment can be monitored from a distance saving time and cost
KITCHENER — Tom Fulmer sits back in his recliner with his laptop waiting for his medical appointment to begin.
The Kitchener man is part of a pilot research project offering patients followup appointments for prostate cancer treatment from the comfort of their home.
Patients meet virtually with healthcare professionals at Grand River Hospital’s regional cancer centre through internet-based video conferences hosted by the Ontario Telemedicine Network.
“It is a followup appointment without the travel, without the parking fees,” Fulmer said.
Prostate cancer patients were chosen for the pilot because many receive chemotherapy medication in a pill form that they take at home, rather than coming into the hospital for intravenous therapy.
Still, followup appointments are important to monitor how the medication affects the patient.
A nurse and pharmacist take part in each appointment that lasts about a halfhour. They do a clinical assessment by asking a detailed list of questions about symptoms and medication use. If there are any concerns, an appointment is booked with an oncologist.
Fulmer, 63, didn’t hesitate when the remote visit was mentioned.
“It was just obvious that this is much, much easier on your day and their day,” Fulmer said. “It’s the convenience.”
During his six-month course of chemotherapy, which continued until early this year, Fulmer checked in every two weeks through a virtual appointment between his face-to-face doctor visits.
“It is a really useful tool.” And easy, Fulmer added. The hospital emails a link and a video window opens to chat with the nurse and pharmacist at the set time.
Carla Girolametto, manager of research and clinical trials at Grand River, said the hospital is always looking for innovative ways to deliver care.
Cancer patients face a burden with their treatments, and allowing them to do some followup appointments from home is helpful, she said.
The hospital can also better allocate resources by relying on the expertise of the nurse and pharmacist, leaving the oncologists available to see other patients.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Girolametto said.
Freeing up resources is a bonus, but the primary focus is patient satisfaction along with feasibility. Grand River is partnering with the University of Waterloo on a research study on the project, funded by the Grand River Motorcycle Ride for Dad.
“We want to see how the patients like being seen remotely,” Girolametto said.
Potentially, it could be expanded to other disciplines or cancers. The preliminary feedback is positive.
“They like the fact they can do it at home,” Girolametto said. “They still feel they are receiving a really high-level quality of care.”