Development of a digital pre-assessment pathway for patients starting systemic anticancer therapy

ABSTRACT

AUTH Why you should read this article • To understand the clinical reasons for pre-treatment assessment of patients undergoing systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) • To appreciate the benefits of a digital SACT pre-assessment pathway for cancer patients • To familiarise yourself with the challenges of providing a digital service During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic measures have been implemented in healthcare systems to reduce transmission of the infection. People with cancer are immunocompromised and at higher risk of contracting infections, therefore many cancer services have been conducting routine reviews and pre-treatment assessments remotely through telephone and video consultations during the pandemic. Patients who are to receive systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) should have an additional consultation to provide them with specific information about the therapy, including side effects and who to contact for advice if they develop these at home. This article describes the development and implementation of a digital SACT pre-assessment pathway in a large university hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, which aimed to deliver information to groups of patients remotely. The article explores the challenges to implementation and discusses some of the findings of a patient feedback survey, which suggest that the digital SACT pre-assessment sessions have been successful overall.