Virtual Multidisciplinary Review of a Complex Case Using a Digital Clinical Decision Support Tool to Improve Workflow...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Informatics
• Surgical Pathology

Background:

• Multi-disciplinary tumor boards are essential for optimal cancer patient care.
• Digital tools can enhance data consolidation and sharing for complex case reviews.
• Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) presents unique challenges requiring integrated clinical expertise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a clinical decision support tool on workflow efficiency during multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings.
• To evaluate the tool's effectiveness in facilitating complex case reviews, specifically for a DFSP tumor.
• To determine the value of digital support in consolidating diverse clinical data for improved decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Case presentation involved oncologist, pathologist, and radiologist contributions.
• Virtual discussion and documentation were conducted using the NAVIFY Tumor Board platform.
• Workflow efficiency was measured by observing and interviewing team members before and after tool implementation, counting steps in meeting preparation and execution.

Main Results:

• The clinical review included surgical history, DFSP histology/sequencing, and radiological findings, leading to a hemipelvectomy and chemotherapy recommendation.
• Meeting preparation steps reduced by 46% (69 to 37), with significant decreases for data managers (33 to 15) and pathologists (26 to 13).
• Steps for conducting the meeting decreased by 31% (51 to 35).

Conclusions:

• A digital clinical decision support tool effectively consolidated patient data for complex cases.
• The tool enhanced workflow efficiency, improving case presentation and interdisciplinary discussion.
• This facilitated informed clinical decision-making for challenging oncological cases like DFSP.