5 minute read
Blazing the Telehealth Trail
BLAZING THE
TELEHEALTH TRAIL
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Before the rise of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, oncologists at the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center had already begun embracing innovative ways to leverage technology to serve women in Eastern Kentucky diagnosed with gynecological cancers.
For patients who can’t travel easily to Lexington for care, the Gynecologic Oncology Telemedicine Program has made it possible to see a physician without leaving home. Virtual appointments allow women diagnosed with uterine, ovarian, vulvar, vaginal and cervical cancers to stay in their communities, at their local hospital or clinic, while consulting with a UK HealthCare gynecologic oncologist. This reduces visits patients must make to Lexington. Patients can use telemedicine appointments for most of their care, including initial consultations, second opinions and reviews of tests.
“In July 2019, we started service with healthcare providers and clinics in Eastern Kentucky,” said Valeria H. Moore, BSN, RN, Gynecologic Oncology practice manager at the UK Markey Cancer Center. “We are currently working with Middlesboro (Cumberland Valley Medical Surgical Associates) and St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead, and we are starting communications with ARH Hazard and ARH Prestonsburg.” Other sites include King’s Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, Tug Valley ARH Regional Medical Center in South Williamson and ARH Hospital Community Clinics in Harlan. This form of care delivery has been a blessing to women in the area. “This enables patients to have a consult visit with a gynecologic oncologist, and then they are brought to UK if they need surgery,” Moore said. “All their follow-up visits are done via telehealth, and they are able to get chemo and radiation in their hometown.”
Getting the program up and running involved almost 18 months of hard work. “We had to develop contracts with the sites, and we had to credential our providers with those sites,” Moore said. But it was also a labor of love. “It’s something that is near and dear to all of us,” she said. “We see the hardships of our patients trying to drive two, three, four hours to get here for their surgery, and then they have to come back for all the follow-up visits. So we have an agreement with these hospitals that we’ll do their surgery here, and they’ll get their chemo and radiation there.”
The Gynecologic Oncology telehealth program eases many burdens for women who have cancer surgery and then must undergo chemo. “Some patients are on four- to six-hour chemo regimens and couple that with a two-hour drive, that in itself is exhausting,” Moore said. “We really want to make our services available to those surrounding counties and all those who have transportation problems. It will be one less thing for these patients to worry about and deal with on top of a cancer diagnosis.”
Eastern Kentucky has a high rate of cervical as well as lung and blood cancers. “A lot of the people in those areas prior to the Affordable Care Act did not have health insurance,” Moore said. “Part of cervical cancer prevention is screening. Many of our patients haven’t had a Pap smear for 15 or 20 years. Some never had a Pap smear.” Even after having an abnormal Pap smear, some women did not receive treatment because they didn’t have the means to go see a specialist. “So having our providers in their community will make a big difference,” Moore said.
An important component of the program is education. The providers will reach out to younger women and teach them about the importance of regular Pap smears, mammograms and screenings.
It is well known that early detection of cancer results in the best outcome. The UK Markey Cancer Center Ovarian Screening Program started in 1987. This screening is for all women over 50 or who have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Moore says almost 48,600 women have received a free ovarian cancer screening through this program.
A pelvic ultrasound is the primary way ovarian cancer is detected in the early stages. “The program at Markey is one of only a few in the United States,” Moore said. Genetic counselors are available to help women assess their risk for different types of cancer.
When a patient finishes treatment, there are still many protocols in place to help maintain good health, and a survivorship clinic, too. “Once a patient has gone through chemotherapy and radiation, there are screenings they undergo to monitor their long-term health,” Moore said. Patients receive a personalized care plan as well as information about diet and areas of overall health, including physical, spiritual and financial well-being, that will support their recovery from surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
To further facilitate and celebrate survivorship, Markey Cancer Center offers a variety of support groups should a patient wish to participate. “We help find the right support group for that woman,” Moore said. The Gynecologic Oncology Clinic is located in the WhitneyHendrickson Building on the third floor.
It’s a good sign for the future of healthcare to see hospitals working closely with one another to offer these types of programs to women in need.
“We wanted to demonstrate that telehealth could work for cancer patients,” Moore said. “Our goal was to set a standard and an expectation that could be reproduced in all the cancer clinics. We love serving ladies and making a difference in their lives and in their treatment. We hope we are trailblazers.”
—VALERIA H. MOORE, BSN, RN,
GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY PRACTICE MANAGER
AT THE UK MARKEY CANCER CENTER
The UK HealthCare Gynecologic Oncology team treats women with cancers that affect the reproductive system, including cervical, uterine, ovarian, vaginal and vulvar cancer.
Treatment options include minimally invasive surgery and the latest offerings of radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
For more information, call (859) 257-4488 or visit www.ukhealthcare.uky.edu/ markey-cancer-center.
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