Parent attitudes to audio/visual telecommunications in childhood cancer: an Australian study.

Use of telemedicine in childhood cancer may offer the means to enhance quality and continuity of care for families, especially to reduce travel-related stress (i.e., more treatment closer to home). Little is known, however, about the attitudes and perceptions of parents toward telemedicine, especially potential barriers to implementation. One hundred parents from two regional groups (rural, city) and two childhood cancer groups (leukemia, solid tumor) were surveyed on their understanding and attitudes toward interactive videoconferencing in specific oncology applications. Parents also rated the impact of time and distance factors in complying with cancer treatment, as well as general communication preferences. Parents gave higher ratings for the usefulness of videoconferencing for enhancing psychosocial care or educational opportunities, rather than for clinical uses or treatment planning. Parents' least favored potential application was "diagnostic services," while the most favored was "contact between separated family." The best predictor for ratings of future use of interactive video-conferencing, controlling for demographic and attitudinal variables, was parent ratings for use of other communication technologies (e.g., e-mail). There was little evidence that appraisals differed significantly as a function of cancer type, or regional group. Parents of children being treated for cancer are receptive to applications of technology in health care, particularly in facilitating non-medical services (e.g., supportive care, education). The results complement previous research with health professionals serving this patient demographic--that potential barriers to use of telemedicine may reflect personal communication preferences rather than perceptions of relevance or technology access.