ABSTRACT
Introduction & Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians were instructed to avoid face-to-face meetings. Virtual Tumour Boards (vTBs) were therefore established. Our objective was to assess physicians’ satisfaction with vTB use during the crisis. Materials & Methods: Twenty-eight physicians in onco-urology involved in a vTB in a single department in Paris, France, were asked to answer an online survey between March 17th and April 28th, 2020. A validated scale employed for teleconsultations was adapted to assess physician satisfaction with the vTB (e.g. Telehealth Usability Questionnaire - TUQ) including additional criteria such as ergonomic, learnability and satisfaction items. A satisfying experience was defined as TUQ score >85. Participants were stratified into two groups, senior and junior, to assess any differences in opinion. Results: A total of 23/28 physicians (82.1%) responded to the questionnaire (median age: 36-years [IQR: 32-40], male: female ratio 2.8, 11 senior physicians (47.8%)). Overall, 164 medical cases were discussed, representing a 23.4% decrease when compared to the similar period in 2019 (n=214). Median TUQ score was 100 [IQR: 92-109] and 22 participants (95.7%) reported a satisfying experience with no significant difference between senior and junior physicians. Limitations include the small sample size, monocentric design, use of a modified telehealth questionnaire in order to fit the vTB, and potential bias inherent in self-reporting. Conclusions: The vTB was a rapid and effective way to deal with onco-urology cases. vTB adherence was high and we believe that this way of working will continue beyond the current crisis.