Telehealth education for patients with cancer: a standalone solution for symptom relief?

BACKGROUND

Telehealth-delivered education offers a practical approach to chemotherapy teaching and symptom self-management support. Advanced practice providers (APPs) play an increasingly vital role in guiding oncology patients through treatment, particularly in managing symptoms and reducing preventable emergency department (ED) use. This study evaluated whether an APP-led telehealth symptom education and monitoring (TSEM) intervention improved symptom self-management engagement and reduced ED utilization in patients with cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 120 patients with gastrointestinal (GI), lung, or sarcoma cancers treated at a single academic institution. The intervention group (n = 61) received a tailored telehealth education session from specialized oncology APPs within seven days of treatment initiation. The control group (n = 59) received standard patient education. Outcomes included ED visits and symptom self-management engagement, measured via medical record-documented patient-initiated symptom support calls. Data were analyzed using multivariable binary logistic, linear, and negative-binomial regression models adjusted for demographic, clinical covariates.

RESULTS

The intervention did not significantly reduce ED utilization overall. Patients with GI cancer in the TSEM group had increased odds of ED visits. However, patients in the TSEM group made significantly more symptom self-management calls (74% higher rate; p < 0.05), especially those with GI cancer, suggesting increased patient engagement in managing treatment-related symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

APP-led telehealth education enhanced patient engagement in symptom self-management but did not reduce ED visits. Tailored, cancer-specific education delivered by APPs may empower patients to manage symptoms earlier. Further prospective, multi-site research is needed to assess the long-term impact on acute care utilization and quality outcomes in broader, diverse oncology populations.