Virtual versus in-person multidisciplinary musculoskeletal tumor conferences in times of COVID-19.
| Autor: | Hirth V; Department of Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany., Schopow N; Department of Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany., Pfränger J; Department of Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany., Roschke E; Department of Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany., Heyde CE; Department of Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany., Osterhoff G; Department of Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Zdroj: | Digital health [Digit Health] 2023 Jul 10; Vol. 9, pp. 20552076231179045. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jul 10 (Print Publication: 2023). |
| DOI: | 10.1177/20552076231179045 |
| Abstrakt: | Introduction: Multidisciplinary tumor conferences are a fundamental component in the treatment of oncological patients. The COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting social distancing restrictions offered the opportunity to compare in-person to virtual multidisciplinary tumor conferences. Methods: Retrospective analysis of first-time presentations in tumor conferences at a university musculoskeletal tumor center in the time periods from September 2019 to February 2020 (in-person) and May 2020 to October 2020 (virtual). Results: A total of 209 patients were first-time discussed in one of 52 analyzed musculoskeletal multidisciplinary tumor conferences (105 patients in 25 in-person, and 104 patients 27 virtual meetings). The total number of participants was slightly lower with virtual meetings ( p < .001) and more disciplines were represented in virtual tumor conferences ( p < .001). With median six consultants present in either, the level of available expertise did not differ between the conference formats ( p = .606). Compared to in-person tumor meetings, the patients were discussed earlier in the virtual conferences ( p = .028). The interval between first presentation to biopsy was significantly shorter after virtual tumor conferences (median 4 vs. 7 days, p < .001). There was no significant difference in the interval between initial presentation and resection ( p = .544) among the two conference formats. Conclusions: The implementation of virtual tumor conferences appears to have had a positive effect on timely diagnosis and multidisciplinarity during tumor conferences. This may result in better decision-making and treatment of patients with musculoskeletal tumors and could be routinely implemented into cancer care. Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. (© The Author(s) 2023.) |
| Databáze: | MEDLINE |
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