1. PO-1453 Covid-19 pandemic adapted radiotherapy guidelines: are they really followed?
- Author
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Alessandra Arcelli, E. Scirocco, E. Galofaro, Martina Ferioli, M. Buwenge, I. Ammendolia, Alice Zamagni, Alessandra Guido, Alessio G. Morganti, Giambattista Siepe, Andrea Galuppi, A. Veraldi, C. Malizia, Lidia Strigari, M. Ntreta, G. Tolento, and Silvia Cammelli
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,business.industry ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Digital Poster: Health services research/health economics ,Hematology ,Overcrowding ,Clinical Practice ,Age and gender ,Radiation therapy ,Oncology ,Patient age ,Internal medicine ,Pandemic ,medicine ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Medical prescription ,business - Abstract
Purpose or Objective: The emergency situation produced by the COVID-19 pandemic represents a challenge for radiation oncologists (ROs) clinical practice. In our department, we provided guidelines to the ROs regarding omission, delay, or shortening of radiotherapy (RT). The purpose was to reduce patient’s exposure to the hospital environment and to minimize the departmental overcrowding. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ROs compliance to these guidelines. Materials and Methods: ROs were asked to fill out a data collection form during patients first visits in May and June 2020. Collected data included: ROs age and gender, patient age and residence, RT purpose, treated tumor, dose and fractionation that would have been prescribed outside the pandemic, and RT changes (omitted, delayed, or shortened). The chi-square test and binomial logistic regression were used to analyse the correlation between treatment prescription and collected parameters. Results: One hundred twenty-six out of 205 treatments prescribed during the evaluated period were included in this analysis. In fact, 79 treatments were excluded not being considered in the pandemic-adapted guidelines. Treatment was modified in 61.1% of cases. More specifically, treatment was omitted, delayed, or shortened in 7.9%, 15.9%, and 37.3% of patients, respectively. Unmodified treatments were 38.9% (Figure 1). Overall, the reduction of delivered fractions in our department was 27.9%. A statistically significant correlation (p = 0.028) between younger patients age and lower treatment modifications rate was recorded. (Figure Presented) Conclusion: Our analysis showed a reasonably high compliance of ROs to pandemic-adapted guidelines. The adopted strategy was effective in reducing the number of admissions to our department.
- Published
- 2021