Advances in digital technology continue to transform healthcare delivery. From electronic health records and patient portals to remote monitoring and virtual tumor boards, telehealth and telemedicine have become a core component of care.
Today, telehealth encompasses a wide range of tools and services, including video and audio visits, remote diagnostics, digital imaging, e-health applications, patient engagement platforms, continuing medical education, nursing call centers, and more. While “telemedicine” often refers to clinical care at a distance, “telehealth” is now recognized as the broader term, covering both clinical and non-clinical services. Emerging innovations, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and behavioral insights, are further expanding the scope of telehealth.
According to the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), "the term [telehealth] itself can evoke a limited view of what telehealth does. What was, until recently, referred to as telemedicine now encompasses a much broader array of services and technologies – AI, virtual reality and behavioral economics are a few examples that come to mind. . . . "
Although the potential of telehealth has been recognized for decades, the COVID-19 public health emergency accelerated adoption by temporarily lifting long-standing barriers around regulation, reimbursement, and provider or patient hesitancy. Since then, health systems, hospitals, and cancer programs have proven the value of telehealth in supporting access, continuity of care, and patient engagement—particularly in oncology, where coordinated communication and timely follow-up are critical.
