Feasibility of a Remote Follow-up: A Pilot Study for the Future Care Plan of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility of a remote follow-up in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia patients.Patients and Methods: Remote follow-up was based on kits that enable the shipment of blood samples obtained either at neighbourhood laboratory or at the patients' domicile by a nurse and sent by mail to the regional laboratory for the assessment of BCR::ABL1/ABL1IS ratio followed by a phone or video consultation.Following the first consultation and in order to obtain patients' feedback a questionnaire was sent to the patients.Results: From March 2020 to December 2021, 224 BCR::ABL1IS assessments were performed in 144 patients.Three out of the 224 blood collection samples failed the BCR::ABL1 IS quantification.We observed that a delivery time longer than 4 days led to a significant decrease in the ABL1 copy number per replicate.Overall and based on the 137 completed and returned questionnaires, 80% of the patients highly or somewhat prefer this remote follow-up and agreed to use it under normal circumstances, i.e. free from COVID-19 related restrictions.Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that a remote biological and clinical follow-up is feasible and well received among patients and should be taken into account for the future care plan and recommendations.