Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Use of virtual outpatient oncology services by residential remoteness among adults with cancer in Australia: a population-based retrospective cohort study (146310)

Ramya Walsan 1 , Rebecca Mitchell 1 , Huah Shin Ng 2 , Tim Badgery Parker 1 , Ashfaq Chauhan 1 , Jeffrey Braithwaite 1 , Prince Peprah 1 , Brona Nic Giolla Easpaig 3 , Tracey Webster 4 , Elizabeth Manias 5 , Reema Harrison 1
  1. Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, Australia
  2. Flinders University, Adelaide
  3. University of Sydney, Sydney
  4. Northern Health, Epping, Victoria
  5. Monash University, Clayton

Aim
People living outside major cities face barriers to specialist oncology care. Virtual outpatient consultations may reduce travel and support continuity of care, but use may vary by geography and patient subgroup. This study quantified virtual oncology consultation use by residential remoteness and identified patient, clinical and health-service factors associated with use.

Methods

A population-based retrospective cohort study used linked health data for adults with cancer receiving public outpatient oncology care in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland (2018–2022). Residential remoteness was disaggregated into major cities, inner regional, or outer regional/remote/very remote. Negative binomial regression estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for the number of virtual consultations over 24 months after first service, overall and separately for telephone and video, adjusting for patient, clinical and health-service variables.

Results
Among 334,803 patients, 62.8% lived in major cities, 26.1% in inner regional areas and 11.1% in outer regional/remote/very remote areas. Use of virtual care in oncology consultations increased with remoteness. Compared with patients living in major cities, those living in inner regional areas had higher rates of total consultations conducted virtually (IRR 3.36, 95% CI 3.12–3.63), telephone consultations (IRR 3.42, 95% CI 3.12–3.75) and video consultations (IRR 3.18, 95% CI 2.66–3.79). The highest utilisation was observed among patients living in outer regional, remote or very remote areas, particularly for video consultations (IRR 5.96, 95% CI 4.50–7.90), indicating a strong gradient with increasing remoteness. Greater socioeconomic advantage was associated with progressively higher video use. The association between remoteness and virtual consultation use varied by age, socioeconomic status and state.

Conclusions
Virtual oncology care is used more in regional and remote areas, helping reduce access barriers. Variation by socioeconomic position, age and state suggests use depends on digital access and service models; integration should prioritise equity and consistent provision.