Virtual Tumor Board Increases Provider Attendance and Case Presentations.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Healthcare Administration
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Multidisciplinary tumor boards are crucial for complex cancer care planning.
• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a transition from in-person to virtual meeting formats for cancer care coordination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of transitioning to virtual multidisciplinary tumor boards on meeting attendance and the number of cases presented.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of tumor board records was conducted at a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.
• Twelve months of in-person meeting data were compared with 12 months of virtual meeting data to assess changes in attendance and case presentation patterns.

Main Results:

• Overall attendance increased by 46% (4,030 virtual vs. 2,753 in-person), with increased participation across all specialties.
• The number of patient cases discussed rose by 20% (2,656 virtual vs. 2,127 in-person).
• The number of weekly meetings expanded from seven to nine to accommodate the increased volume.

Conclusions:

• Virtual tumor boards led to a significant increase in both attendance and case presentations, necessitating additional weekly sessions.
• Virtual platforms may enhance participation from remote sites and facilitate access to expert specialist advice, overcoming geographical barriers of in-person meetings.