Risk-reducing Salpingo-oophorectomy consults and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Oncology
• Telemedicine in Healthcare
• Patient Consultations

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid adoption of telehealth services across medical specialties.
• Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) consults involve sensitive discussions and risk assessments that may be impacted by modality changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomies (RRSO) consults.
• To assess the adoption and effectiveness of telehealth for RRSO consults.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to 1,127 members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology in August 2021.
• Data collected included physician characteristics, practice location, and self-reported information on RRSO consults conducted via telehealth and in-person.

Main Results:

• 70 responses were received; 86% of providers transitioned RRSO consults to telehealth.
• Telehealth uptake showed no correlation with provider age or gender but was higher in the West Coast region.
• A slight decrease in time discussing sexual function was noted, though most providers were comfortable with telehealth for these discussions.

Conclusions:

• Telemedicine is now widely adopted for RRSO consults with minimal barriers reported by physicians.
• While the time spent discussing sexual health remained consistent, the scope of topics covered via telehealth was more limited compared to in-person consults.