People with cancer also advanced treatment plans and plenty of emotional support to help them navigate the relentless physical and psychological challenges they face.
The issues are magnified for people who live in rural or regional areas. However, telehealth has helped to lift some of the weight off their shoulders.
Telehealth helps patients get the care they need by connecting them to specialists through video consultations, secure messaging and other forms of digital communication.
The technology supports in-person treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy or surgery, making the overall experience of cancer care more manageable.
Innovations Helping Cancer Care in Australia
Australia has been at the forefront of the push towards integrating telehealth into the global healthcare system.
The country’s expansive geography has traditionally made it difficult for a sizeable proportion of the population to access adequate healthcare.
That extended to people suffering from serious health conditions such as cancer, but the landscape has changed dramatically in recent years.
For example, the Cancer Council has implemented a new cloud, cyber and network solution in Queensland thanks to its partnership with Macquarie Telecom.
The plan is to streamline its IT infrastructure and strengthen its cybersecurity, which will reduce operational costs, freeing up funds that can be used to improve cancer support services across the state.
The project has allowed the Cancer Council to run its entire operation, which spans six states, under a single secure network.
That will help expand telehealth services for people in regional and remote communities without diverting resources from its core cancer support and research activities.
The resources saved by cutting costs will be redirected back into frontline services. The new set-up also lays the foundation for more support to come in for future advancements.
They plan to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their system to assist patient care, detection and prevention activities.
Cancer patients will now be able to access telehealth consultations without facing the issues that previously prevented them from receiving quality care.
How Private Providers are Supporting Cancer Care in Australia
While the latest development in Queensland is a huge win for the state, private telehealth providers are also playing their part in adding depth to cancer care in Australia.
When private providers such as Qoctor work closely with healthcare organisations, they bring expertise, resources and innovation that can spread the good work to the rest of the country.
Virtual care is not designed to replace in-person treatments, but helps patients address issues that do not necessarily require a visit to a land-based medical facility.
Qoctor makes it possible for specialists to schedule follow-up consultations, patients to have their prescriptions delivered to their doorstep, and to provide mental health support online.
According to a recent Qoctor review, patients across Australia have been blown away by its fast and affordable services. Qoctor allows patients to get high-quality cancer care without breaking the bank.
How Australia’s Landscape Compares to the United States
Australia’s telehealth sector offers a template that major nations such as the United States would be well advised to follow.
When the US took telehealth more seriously during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of outpatient visits skyrocketed from almost nothing to more than 10% within a year.
Many cancer patients have found telehealth services to be safer, effective and convenient, as they can connect with specialists through video calls.
However, the health landscape in the US is alarmingly uneven. Only around three percent of oncologists in the US practice in remote areas, while two-thirds of rural counties have zero access.
Nearly 32 million Americans, approximately 10% of the entire US population, live in areas where cancer treatment is hard to come by, so they have to drive for hours.
As evidenced by Australia, telehealth can be a game-changer when it comes to cancer care. The digital divide across the US makes life more complicated for them.
Around 22% of Americans in remote communities can hardly access the internet. That issue affects only 2% of the entire urban population. Others who have internet access often have no clue how to get medical assistance using a digital device.
Australia has a better framework to comfortably use telehealth as a support tool in cancer care, and America should take a page or two from their playbook.