What to Know About Telehealth for Lymphoma

The COVID-19 pandemic quickly altered the way some aspects of health care were delivered, and telehealth visits became used more often. Although some visits are best done in person, with healthcare practices taking precautions to keep their patients safe, there are many times telehealth visits are appropriate, including visits for lymphoma.  

Learn more about when to use telehealth for lymphoma, along with the benefits and challenges of these virtual visits.

When to Use Telehealth for Lymphoma

Telehealth visits for lymphoma can be a convenient option for a visit with your cancer team. These appointments may be with various members of the team, including an oncologist, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. These types of visits may be for:

• Discussion of treatment options
• Treatment education visits
• Symptom management
• Follow-up between treatments
• Follow-up after a treatment has ended
• Visits with specialists, such as genetic counselors or dietitians
• Survivorship visits

When You May Need to Be Seen in Person

Telehealth is not the best option for every visit, however. Because a full physical exam is not possible during a telehealth visit, there are times in-person visits may be required.

When needing any type of treatment, such as:

• Chemotherapy
• Monoclonal antibody therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Radiation

When needing any type of testing, including:

• Blood tests
• Imaging (CT, MRI, X-ray, PET scan)
• Bone marrow biopsy
• Lymph node biopsy

If experiencing new or worsening symptoms, or if any symptom is severe. These symptoms may include:

• Fever
• Night sweats
• Enlarging lymph nodes
• Fatigue
• Itching
• Shortness of breath
• Abdominal or pelvic pain
• Weakness
• Weight loss

Benefits and Challenges

There can be many benefits for telehealth visits, including:

• Decreased travel: Some patients may live far away from their cancer center. Telehealth visits can allow for continued care from the oncology team without the cost of transportation.
• Accessibility: Sometimes people experience difficulty physically getting into a car or walking long distances into the provider’s office. Telehealth visits offer an option for care that can be accessed without leaving the house. 
• Time savings: With no time spent traveling or sitting in a waiting room, it can be much more convenient to wait in the comfort of home for a visit to start.  
• Decreased infection risk: Visits from home reduce the risk of developing an infection from exposure to another patient who may have an illness. This may be very important for someone with decreased immune system function from their cancer treatment.
• Cost: Some insurance companies offer reduced copays for telehealth visits. Transportation costs are also saved, and people can save money by not having to take off from work to attend a visit.

Although there are many benefits, there can be some challenges to telehealth as well. 

• Access issues: Having a cellphone or computer with a camera and Internet access is required for a visit with audio and video. Not all people will have the equipment necessary for a successful telehealth visit. Knowing how to use the required technology may be difficult for some people as well.
• Technical issues: There may be times when calls are dropped or a patient or provider has problems using technology due to an outage of service or some other technical problem. These can prevent or limit the ability to perform an adequate visit. 
• Limited physical exam: Sometimes an oncology provider will need to listen to a body system or physically observe an area that can’t be seen through a telehealth visit. This may lead to the potential of missing an important finding. 

How to Prepare for a Telehealth Visit for Lymphoma

Ask your lymphoma provider if a telehealth visit option may be available for you. Once a telehealth visit is scheduled, there should be a few things you can do to prepare. 

Things to do before the visit include:

• Make sure the device used for the visit, such as a phone, tablet, or computer, is powered on and is fully charged or plugged into a power source.
• Ensure there is a connection to the Internet or a wireless phone service.
• Have the phone number for the provider to call back in case of disconnection.
• Test your device to make sure it’s working well.
• Find a quiet, well-lit place to sit for the visit.
• Bring a list of questions or concerns to discuss with the provider.
• Have a family member or friend sit with you, if desired, to have another person listen and ask questions you may not have thought of.

What Happens During a Visit

Prior to your telehealth visit, you will likely receive instructions from your provider’s office, which include a link to visit the platform and any instructions to know before you start. Information on security and privacy practices should also be provided. 

To start a telehealth visit, use the link provided by your provider’s office. 

The visit may be very similar in some ways to an in-patient visit. 

• The provider may ask for vital signs if you’re able to provide them, such as recent weight, blood pressure, or heart rate.
• The reason for your visit will be discussed (symptom management, follow-up, etc.).
• If the provider needs to see a particular part of your body, this will be requested.
• Discuss any questions that you have.
• Confirm any new prescriptions or recommendations, and schedule the next follow-up. 

Telehealth visits may be a great option for some of your lymphoma care but will not be able to replace all your care. Please contact your cancer care team with any concerns or to find out what precautions are being taken to keep you safe.

A Word From Verywell

Telehealth visits may be a convenient option for someone with lymphoma. Educational visits, symptom management, survivorship visits, or any visit that doesn’t require a detailed physical exam may be a good option for telehealth. If you have a medical emergency or worsening symptoms, however, it is best to be seen in person. Check with your lymphoma team to see if a telehealth visit is appropriate for your situation.