Cancer Survivors Benefiting From Telehealth Services

British researchers report that online- and phone-based healthcare offers a number of benefits for cancer survivors. According to UPI, the new study looked at previous research on cancer survivors' experiences with online and phone health contacts -- what the researchers call telehealth. The review found that patients liked the flexibility and convenience of this method of staying in touch with their care providers because they could do so in a familiar, comfortable setting and with minimum disruption to their lives. Also, the perceived anonymity of telehealth reduced patients' sense of vulnerability. Some said they were more comfortable raising concerns in this setting than in face-to-face appointments. Study leader Anna Cox is a research fellow at the University of Surrey's School of Health Sciences. She said the research found that cancer survivors wanted to get back to their daily lives as quickly as possible. And because of that telehealth removed the often burdensome visits to the doctor or hospital. It also enabled the integration of care into daily routines.