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Corvaja C, Targato G, Garattini SK, Barazzutti C, Bin A, Donato R, Mansutti M, Riosa C, Rizzato S, Troiero G, Fasola G. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on oncology workload: The experience of an Italian Reference Cancer Center. J Clin Oncol 2021. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.e13520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
e13520 Background: Since its outbreak in January 2020, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic dramatically affected health systems worldwide and a prompt realignment of clinical activities had to be thought. International Oncology guidelines recommended that routine oncology care continued to be delivered, ensuring triage procedures to prevent COVID-19 diffusion alongside treatments prioritization. Aim of this study was to assess the variation of activity volumes due to COVID-19 pandemic in the Oncology Department of the Academic Reference Cancer Center of Udine, Italy. Methods: We extracted activity volumes from the electronic “Data Warehouse” accountability system and compared activity in 2020 with historical activity in 2019. We then narrowed the analysis to the peak of COVID-19 pandemic, comparing data of a four-months period (February-May 2020 vs 2019). In accordance with the Italian Association of Medical Oncology guidelines, the activities analyzed included: new patients referrals, first consultations, new therapy assignments, treatment prescriptions and therapy administrations, disease re-assessments, follow-up visits, tele-examinations, unplanned visits and ward discharges. Results: Overall, throughout COVID-19 pandemic a negligible reduction in the number of first consultations (-5%) and new patients referrals to our Oncology Department (-10%) was detected. Of note, a significant reduction in the number of unplanned oncologic visits was observed (-23%). The replacement of follow up visits with telephonic interviews with the interpretation of laboratory and radiologic examinations (tele-examinations) led to a substantial reduction in follow-up visits throughout 2020 (-25%). Conversely, treatment-related activities, including new therapy assignments (+1%), treatment prescriptions and therapy administrations (+2% and +3%, respectively), confirmed the increasing trend of the previous year. Interestingly, similar trends were observed in the four-months peak period with a substantially higher decrease in follow-up visits in 2020 vs 2019 (-51%), whereas treatment-related activities remained stable. Conclusions: In the context of COVID-19 pandemic, our Oncology Department maintained stable performances on critical oncology activities. Strict triage procedures, serial swabs for patients and healthcare professionals and strategic follow-up visits remodulation were crucial. Notwithstanding the significant decrease in cancer treatments observed in several published reports, our experience demonstrates that the reorganization of oncology departments during a global pandemic is feasible and it should be pursued to preserve patients’ safety without compromising the continuum of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Corvaja
- Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Udine (ASUFC); Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Giada Targato
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital; Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Silvio Ken Garattini
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Cristina Barazzutti
- Department of Planning and Management Control, ASUFC Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bin
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Raffaela Donato
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Mauro Mansutti
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Chiara Riosa
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Simona Rizzato
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Graziella Troiero
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital, Udine, Italy
| | - Gianpiero Fasola
- Department of Oncology, ASUFC Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital, Udine, Italy
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Cattani G, Arnoldo L, Tricarico P, Agnoletto A, Tosolini F, Cristiani M, Canciani L, Gangi F, Tonutti G, Pletti L, Prati M, Cojutti P, Pea F, Brusaferro S, Chittaro M, Barazzutti C, Monteverdi D, Lavia B. Polypharmacy in an Italian Regional Health system: a survey on drugs use in different healthcare settings. Eur J Public Health 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/cku166.172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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