A digital tumor board solution impacts case discussion time and postponement of cases in tumor boards

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a digital solution on case discussion during TB meetings in four cancer types: Breast, Gastrointestinal (GI), Ear, Nose& Throat (ENT), and Hematopathology. A prospective study was performed to evaluate case discussion time during TB meetings pre- and post-solution implementation, at an US academic healthcare cancer center. Data were recorded by a Nurse Navigator for each case during TB meetings. Case discussion times were recorded for 2312 patients, at a total of 286  TB meetings. Significant decreases were observed in the average case discussion time for the breast and GI TBs. We observed a trend for reduction in discussion time variance for all TBs, suggesting the potential of the digital solution to standardize case discussion via provision of uniform case p resentation and data access. Postponement rate decreased from 23 to 10% for ENT TB. This study demonstrated that the digital solution enhanced effective TB implementation, with heterogeneity across cancer types.
Source: Health and Technology - Category: Information Technology Source Type: research