Table 2.
Descriptive Characteristics of Telehealth Visits
| Week 1, No. (%) | Week 2, No. (%) | Total, No. (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HNC consultations in radiation oncology | |||
| Consults | |||
| Telemedicine | 21 (84) | 19 (83) | 40 (83) |
| In person (protocol‐mandated, patient request) | 4 (16) | 4 (17) | 8 (17) |
| Endoscopic examination | 1 (4) | 0 (0) | 1 (2) |
| Total No. of consults | 25 | 23 | 48 |
| Subsite | |||
| Nasal cavity/paranasal sinuses | 3 (12) | 0 (0) | 3 (6) |
| Nasopharynx | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Oropharynx | 7 (28) | 8 (35) | 15 (31) |
| Hypopharynx | 2 (8) | 1 (4) | 3 (6) |
| Larynx | 4 (16) | 0 (0) | 4 (8) |
| Oral cavity | 4 (16) | 3 (13) | 7 (15) |
| Unknown primary | 2 (8) | 2 (9) | 4 (8) |
| Other (salivary, thyroid, sarcoma, etc) | 3 (12) | 9 (38) | 12 (25) |
| Disease status | |||
| Tier 1: primary | 16 (64) | 18 (78) | 34 (71) |
| Tier 2: recurrent | 4 (16) | 3 (13) | 7 (15) |
| Tier 2: metastatic | 5 (20) | 2 (9) | 7 (15) |
| Tier 3: severely limited RT resources | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Radiation intent | |||
| Definitive | 13 (52) | 14 (61) | 27 (56) |
| Adjuvant | 6 (24) | 7 (30) | 13 (27) |
| Palliative | 6 (24) | 2 (9) | 8 (17) |
| Radiation history | |||
| No prior H&N RT | 17 (68) | 19 (83) | 36 (75) |
| History of prior H&N RT | 8 (32) | 4 (17) | 12 (25) |
| Age | |||
| <70 y | 20 (80) | 19 (83) | 39 (81) |
| Radiation recommended | 18 (72) | 19 (83) | 37 (77) |
| Referred to proton center | 7 (39) | 5 (26) | 12 (32) |
| Treatment at MSK Manhattan or regional facility | 11 (61) | 14 (74) | 25 (68) |
| Time to SIM, median (range), d | 8 (0‐15) | 7 (0‐12) | 7 (0‐15) |
| Dental clearance obtained/recommended | 5/8 (63) | 3/12 (25) | 8/20 (40) |
| Enrolled in a clinical trial | 1 (6) | 6 (32) | 12 (25) |
| Dose fractionation | |||
| Conventional fractionation (2 Gy/fx to 60‐70 Gy) | 14 (78) | 17 (89) | 31 (84) |
| Palliative hypofractionation regimen | 4 (22) | 2 (11) | 6 (16) |
| Radiation not recommended | 7 (28) | 4 (17) | 11 (23) |
| Surgery recommended first | 2 (28) | 2 (50) | 4 (36) |
| Further workup recommended | 2 (28) | 1 (25) | 3 (28) |
| Patient declined, hospice, or RT closer to home | 2 (28) | 1 (25) | 3 (28) |
| Other | 1 (14) | 0 (0) | 1 (9) |
| Concurrent chemotherapy | |||
| Yes | 10 (56) | 15 (79) | 25 (68) |
| No | 8 (44) | 4 (21) | 12 (32) |
| HNC status checks | |||
| Telemedicine | 36 (73) | 63 (93) | 99 (85) |
| In person | 13 (27) | 5 (7) | 18 (15) |
| HNC follow‐up appointments | |||
| Telemedicine | 8 (100) | 28 (100) | 36 (100) |
| In person | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
Abbreviations: fx, fraction; H&N, head and neck; HNC, head and neck cancer; MSK, Memorial Sloan Kettering; RT, radiation therapy; SIM, simulation for radiation therapy.