Today, thanks to recent guidance for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, providers can use particularly accessible applications such as FaceTime, Google Hangouts and Skype to consult with their patients. As more and more Americans have leaned on these tools to communicate with loved ones throughout the pandemic, the familiarity and ease of access has broken down barriers between patient and provider even further.
At GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer, the patient comes first and we know that meeting patients, advocates and survivors where they are has never been more important. In addition to whole-heartedly embracing telehealth as a beneficial practice for patients and their families, GO2 Foundation has also adopted a multitude of digital tools at an organizational level to continue raising awareness and educating communities.
When the pandemic hit, we quickly pivoted to providing online COVID-19 updates, resources and guidance to patients in the lung cancer community. Our “Lung Cancer Living Room” series, ordinarily an in-person monthly forum featuring lung cancer specialists, physicians and researchers in conversation with patients and advocates, was transformed into a virtual discussion enabling us to reach members of the community at home.
Broadcast on Facebook Live and YouTube, the “Living Room” helped us stay connected with patients and deliver important information on how to manage lung cancer diagnoses during COVID-19. And while the ongoing fight for a cure continues, we are proud to advance and improve the treatment process – including and especially those enabled by digital technology.
