Ensuring the Safety of Hospitalized Oncology Patients During a Pandemic

Patients with hematologic malignancies present a unique set of circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic; they are at increased risk of complications and death from COVID-19 infection, but the treatment of their cancer cannot be delayed. This article highlights some of the practice changes made by an inpatient hematology/oncology advanced practice provider team at a large academic institution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at both a hospital-wide and service level. Practice changes have included restructuring the rounding process, imposing visitor restrictions, adjusting blood transfusion parameters, and implementing creative communication approaches to keep patients and families informed while practicing medicine under stringent new guidelines. Low COVID-19 infection rates at this particular hospital demonstrate that, while these changes were difficult, they were successful in preventing transmission of COVID-19 and keeping both patients and providers safe.