Abstract 1638P
Background
Since the beginning of COVID19 pandemic, cancer patients were considered to be more susceptible to contract SARCOV2 due to their underlying disease, greater immunosuppression and comorbidities. This higher risk forced oncologist on March 2020 to switch to telehealth without previous knowledge on this field. The aim of this study is to review our experience with telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
Patients attended by a telephonic and/or an in-person visit in the Medical Oncology Service at Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari between March 13 to April 30 2020 were included. Characteristics of recruited patients were summarized using descriptive analysis. The study was approved by the Research Ethic Committee.
Results
855 patients were attended. 24.4 % had an in-person visit, 63.2 % had a phone call visit and 12.4 % both types. Median age was 65,48 [26-94] years old. 48.7% were male. 65.4% ECOG 0. Cancer types were: 41,8 % Colorectal, 12,7% Gastrointestinal non-colorectal, 12% Lung, 21,3 % Breast and 12.2 % Others. Most patients (52.4%) had a follow-up visit. 26.4 % were receiving palliative treatment and the most frequent administered drug was chemotherapy (51.2%). Telephonic appointments were mainly follow-up visits (63.7%), used for older patients (median age 66 years) with colorectal and breast cancers (42.7 % and 24.3% respectively), ECOG 0 (65.4%) and stage I, II and III disease (73.9%). In contrast, in-person appointments were mostly treatment visits (84.1%), for younger patients (median age 63.4 years) with stage IV disease (60%), ECOG ≥ 1 (51.7%) and colorectal cancer (35,9%). The proportion of patients with non-colorectal and thoracic cancers was higher when compared to telephonic assistance (40.6 % vs 19.4% respectively). The differences between the two types of visit were statistically significant (p<0.0001).
Conclusions
Without a robust scientific basis or previous experience, it seems that during the first period of COVID-19 pandemic oncologist felt more comfortable with face-to-face appointments when visiting patients with stage IV disease and/or ECOG ≥ 1 that were receiving palliative treatment. These patients attended more to the hospital despite having a higher mortality for COVID19.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
S. Soriano: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Kywowa Kirin. P. Ribera: Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Merck; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Sanofi; Financial Interests, Personal, Other: Roche; Financial Interests, Personal, Other: Lilly . I. Macias Declara: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Amgen; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Roche; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Sanofi; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: BMS . L. Fernandez: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Novartis; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: BMS; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: MSD; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Pierre-Fabre; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Roche; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Novartis. L. Vilà: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Boehringer Ingelheim; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: AstraZeneca; Non-Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: AstraZeneca; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: AstraZeneca; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Bristol Myers; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Merck; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Roche. M.A. Segui: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: MSD; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Daichi-Sanyo; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Pfizer; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Novartis; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Lilly; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Eisai; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Roche; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: AstraZeneca; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Seagen; Non-Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Novartis; Non-Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Lilly; Non-Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Roche; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Pfizer; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Eisai; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: Roche; Financial Interests, Personal, Invited Speaker: MSD. C. Pericay: Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Amgen; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Ipsen; Financial Interests, Personal, Advisory Board: Servier; Non-Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator: Amgen; Non-Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator: Lilly; Non-Financial Interests, Institutional, Research Grant: Merck; Non-Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator: Roche; Non-Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator: Sanofi; Non-Financial Interests, Institutional, Principal Investigator: Servier. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.