Delivery of Virtual Care in Oncology: Province-Wide Interprofessional Consensus Statements Using a Modified Delphi Process
Virtual cancer care (i.e., teleoncology) was rapidly adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic to meet the needs of patients with cancer. However, there is a paucity of guidance for clinicians regarding virtual cancer care. We sought to develop consensus-based statements to guide the optimal provision of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Current Oncology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/28/6/445 |
| _version_ | 1827673184230440960 |
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| author | Matthew C. Cheung Bryan B. Franco Nicholas Meti Alia Thawer Houman Tahmasebi Adithya Shankar Andrew Loblaw Frances C. Wright Colleen Fox Naomi Peek Vivian Sim Simron Singh |
| author_facet | Matthew C. Cheung Bryan B. Franco Nicholas Meti Alia Thawer Houman Tahmasebi Adithya Shankar Andrew Loblaw Frances C. Wright Colleen Fox Naomi Peek Vivian Sim Simron Singh |
| author_sort | Matthew C. Cheung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Virtual cancer care (i.e., teleoncology) was rapidly adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic to meet the needs of patients with cancer. However, there is a paucity of guidance for clinicians regarding virtual cancer care. We sought to develop consensus-based statements to guide the optimal provision of virtual care for clinicians caring for patients with cancer, using a modified Delphi consensus process with a 29-member panel consisting of an interprofessional group of clinicians caring for patients with cancer and patient representatives. The consensus process consisted of two rounds and one synchronous final consensus meeting. At the end of the modified Delphi process, 62 of 62 statements achieved consensus. Fifty-seven statements reached consensus in the first round of the process. Concerns regarding the ability to convey difficult news virtually and maintaining similar standards as in-person care without disproportionate strain on clinicians and patients were addressed in the consensus process. We achieved interprofessional consensus on virtual cancer care practices. Further research examining the impact of virtual cancer care on person-centred and clinical outcomes are needed to inform practices during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:20:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d3127b8db3634f9c8840a7fa8367dba3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1198-0052 1718-7729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:20:24Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Oncology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d3127b8db3634f9c8840a7fa8367dba32023-11-23T07:51:12ZengMDPI AGCurrent Oncology1198-00521718-77292021-12-012865332534510.3390/curroncol28060445Delivery of Virtual Care in Oncology: Province-Wide Interprofessional Consensus Statements Using a Modified Delphi ProcessMatthew C. Cheung0Bryan B. Franco1Nicholas Meti2Alia Thawer3Houman Tahmasebi4Adithya Shankar5Andrew Loblaw6Frances C. Wright7Colleen Fox8Naomi Peek9Vivian Sim10Simron Singh11Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaDepartment of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, CanadaDepartment of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H2, CanadaDepartment of Pharmacy, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaDepartment of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H2, CanadaDivision of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaDepartment of Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaOntario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaOntario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaDivision of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaDivision of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, CanadaVirtual cancer care (i.e., teleoncology) was rapidly adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic to meet the needs of patients with cancer. However, there is a paucity of guidance for clinicians regarding virtual cancer care. We sought to develop consensus-based statements to guide the optimal provision of virtual care for clinicians caring for patients with cancer, using a modified Delphi consensus process with a 29-member panel consisting of an interprofessional group of clinicians caring for patients with cancer and patient representatives. The consensus process consisted of two rounds and one synchronous final consensus meeting. At the end of the modified Delphi process, 62 of 62 statements achieved consensus. Fifty-seven statements reached consensus in the first round of the process. Concerns regarding the ability to convey difficult news virtually and maintaining similar standards as in-person care without disproportionate strain on clinicians and patients were addressed in the consensus process. We achieved interprofessional consensus on virtual cancer care practices. Further research examining the impact of virtual cancer care on person-centred and clinical outcomes are needed to inform practices during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/28/6/445consensusvirtual careteleoncologytelemedicine |
| spellingShingle | Matthew C. Cheung Bryan B. Franco Nicholas Meti Alia Thawer Houman Tahmasebi Adithya Shankar Andrew Loblaw Frances C. Wright Colleen Fox Naomi Peek Vivian Sim Simron Singh Delivery of Virtual Care in Oncology: Province-Wide Interprofessional Consensus Statements Using a Modified Delphi Process Current Oncology consensus virtual care teleoncology telemedicine |
| title | Delivery of Virtual Care in Oncology: Province-Wide Interprofessional Consensus Statements Using a Modified Delphi Process |
| title_full | Delivery of Virtual Care in Oncology: Province-Wide Interprofessional Consensus Statements Using a Modified Delphi Process |
| title_fullStr | Delivery of Virtual Care in Oncology: Province-Wide Interprofessional Consensus Statements Using a Modified Delphi Process |
| title_full_unstemmed | Delivery of Virtual Care in Oncology: Province-Wide Interprofessional Consensus Statements Using a Modified Delphi Process |
| title_short | Delivery of Virtual Care in Oncology: Province-Wide Interprofessional Consensus Statements Using a Modified Delphi Process |
| title_sort | delivery of virtual care in oncology province wide interprofessional consensus statements using a modified delphi process |
| topic | consensus virtual care teleoncology telemedicine |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/28/6/445 |
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