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Open AccessArticle
Enhancing Post-Mastectomy Care: Telehealth’s Impact on Breast Reconstruction Accessibility for Breast Cancer Patients
by
Stephen A. Stearns
Stephen A. Stearns †,
Daniela Lee
Daniela Lee †
,
Valeria P. Bustos
Valeria P. Bustos ,
Anthony Haddad
Anthony Haddad ,
Natalie Hassell
Natalie Hassell ,
Erin Kim
Erin Kim ,
Jose A. Foppiani
Jose A. Foppiani ,
Theodore C. Lee
Theodore C. Lee ,
Samuel J. Lin
Samuel J. Lin
Dr. Samuel J. Lin is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and holds as an at [...]
Dr. Samuel J. Lin is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and holds appointments as an attending Plastic Surgeon with Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at BIDMC and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, Massachusetts. He is board-certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He graduated from medical school in 1998 and has been practicing plastic surgery in the Boston area since 2007. Dr. Lin serves as Associate Program Director of the Harvard Plastic Surgery Residency Training Program, and he is co-director of the Harvard Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Fellowship at BIDMC. He serves as an Associate Editor on the Editorial Board for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the main journal for plastic surgery. Dr. Lin, his team, and his collaborators have regularly published scientific papers in the literature to further knowledge about plastic surgery and other topics. Dr. Lin is an active Board Member of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Bright Pink Foundations. His clinical interests include Body contouring (Liposuction, abdominoplasty, arm/thigh lift), Breast implant and perforator flaps (DIEP/SIEA/GAP), Breast surgery, breast reduction and augmentation, Facial aesthetic surgery (Face lift, Neck lift, Blepharoplasty), General oncologic reconstruction, Reconstructive surgery after breast cancer, and Rhinoplasty (Aesthetic, Functional/Breathing).
* and
Bernard T. Lee
Bernard T. Lee
Dr. Bernard T. Lee is a Professor of Surgery and Chair of the Division of Plastic Surgery, Beth MA, [...]
Dr. Bernard T. Lee is a Professor of Surgery and Chair of the Division of Plastic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. He completed his Medical School at Tufts University School of Medicine and his Residency at Tufts Medical Center and Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine Program. His Clinical Interests include Aesthetic breast surgery, Breast implant and perforator flaps (DIEP, SIEA, GAP), Cosmetic surgery, Facial aesthetic surgery, Facial reconstructive surgery, Reconstructive surgery after breast cancer, and Traumatic facial fractures.
*
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Cancers 2024, 16(14), 2555; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16142555 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 13 June 2024
/
Revised: 8 July 2024
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Accepted: 12 July 2024
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Published: 16 July 2024
Simple Summary
This research explores how the increase in telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the accessibility of breast reconstruction for breast cancer patients. This study compares patient data from before and during the widespread adoption of telehealth, focusing on how far patients traveled for surgery and their follow-up care. The findings indicate that while the rate of breast reconstruction surgeries remained consistent, telehealth significantly enhanced follow-up care, suggesting it plays a crucial role in improving healthcare access and continuity for breast cancer patients. This underscores the potential of telemedicine to bridge gaps in healthcare delivery, particularly for post-mastectomy care.
Abstract
Objective: To examine how the recent sharp rise in telemedicine has impacted trends in accessibility of breast reconstruction (BR). Patients and Methods: A retrospective study reviewed patients who underwent a total mastectomy at our institution from 1 August 2016 to 31 January 2022. By comparing cohorts before and during the widespread implementation of telemedicine, we assessed telehealth’s impact on healthcare accessibility, measured by distance from patients’ residences to our institution. Results: A total of 359 patients were included in this study. Of those, 176 received total mastectomy prior to the availability of telemedicine, and 183 in the subsequent period. There were similar baseline characteristics among patients undergoing mastectomy, including distance from place of residence to hospital (p = 0.67). The same proportion elected to receive BR between groups (p = 0.22). Those declining BR traveled similar distances as those electing the procedure, both before the era of widespread telemedicine adoption (40.3 and 35.6 miles, p = 0.56) and during the height of telemedicine use (22.3 and 61.3 miles, p = 0.26). When tracking follow-up care, significantly more patients during the pandemic pursued at least one follow-up visit with their original surgical team, indicative of the increased utilization of telehealth services. Conclusions: While the rate of BR remained unchanged during the pandemic, our findings reveal significant shifts in healthcare utilization, highly attributed to the surge in telehealth adoption. This suggests a transformative impact on breast cancer care, emphasizing the need for continued exploration of telemedicine’s role in enhancing accessibility and patient follow-up in the post-pandemic era.
Share and Cite
MDPI and ACS Style
Stearns, S.A.; Lee, D.; Bustos, V.P.; Haddad, A.; Hassell, N.; Kim, E.; Foppiani, J.A.; Lee, T.C.; Lin, S.J.; Lee, B.T.
Enhancing Post-Mastectomy Care: Telehealth’s Impact on Breast Reconstruction Accessibility for Breast Cancer Patients. Cancers 2024, 16, 2555.
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16142555
AMA Style
Stearns SA, Lee D, Bustos VP, Haddad A, Hassell N, Kim E, Foppiani JA, Lee TC, Lin SJ, Lee BT.
Enhancing Post-Mastectomy Care: Telehealth’s Impact on Breast Reconstruction Accessibility for Breast Cancer Patients. Cancers. 2024; 16(14):2555.
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16142555
Chicago/Turabian Style
Stearns, Stephen A., Daniela Lee, Valeria P. Bustos, Anthony Haddad, Natalie Hassell, Erin Kim, Jose A. Foppiani, Theodore C. Lee, Samuel J. Lin, and Bernard T. Lee.
2024. "Enhancing Post-Mastectomy Care: Telehealth’s Impact on Breast Reconstruction Accessibility for Breast Cancer Patients" Cancers 16, no. 14: 2555.
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16142555
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