Patient Safety, Satisfaction soar with Remote Care Management

Memorial Sloan Kettering designed a remote radiation oncology care model in which a patient could receive radiation at a quaternary referral academic cancer center closer to home. Initial consults, radiation treatment planning and on-treatment management can all be delivered via telehealth in this model.This treatment model was ultimately successful in promoting patient satisfaction while keeping the risk for adverse patient safety events down, the study showed.In a retrospective cohort study of nearly 3,000 patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering who opted for remote radiation oncology care between October 2020 and 2022, patient satisfaction scores were outstanding. Nearly every patient (98%) rated their satisfaction as good or very good across all domains.Meanwhile, patient safety was a negligible issue. Over the study period, there were 764 patient safety events reported. That rate is higher than anticipated, the researchers acknowledged. However, all but one never reached the patient, meaning the adverse events never caused any patient harm.