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Doctors and nurses during COVID19pandemic: A different perception of cancer care
Clinical Cancer Research ; 26(18 SUPPL), 2020.
Article in English | EMBASE | ID: covidwho-992055
ABSTRACT

Background:

The spread of coronavirus disease brought the need to reorganize clinical activity in oncology. Cancerpatients are very vulnerable, and it is well known that their treatment has to be strictly planned. The most criticalconsiderations still relate to the entry of the virus into hospitals, the heart of health care, where cancer patients areprotected. Instead, during the COVID19 pandemic the oncologic department had to limit access to care to protectpatients from a more dangerous disease for them, witnessing a paradox of health care. This brought with it worriesin oncologic health care professionals in replanning activities in order to guarantee therapeutic continuity and qualityof care. It is well known that physicians and nurses have different role concepts and role expectations. The purposeof our study was to investigate doctors' and nurses' perception of cancer patient reorganization during the COVID19pandemic in a sample of Italian health care professionals in oncology.

Methods:

We submitted a survey to oncologic health care workers (physicians and nurses) of Italian NationalHealth Care System during the pandemic to investigate clinical activity reorganization and cancer patientmanagement through 12 closed questions. The survey promoted by Clinica Oncologica, AOU Riuniti di Ancona-Università Politecnica delle Marche was electronic and anonymous.

Results:

A total of 383 oncology health workers completed the survey, 60 nurses (15%) and 323 physicians (85%).60% of interviewed physicians perceived qualitatively lower than usual the therapeutic path of patients taken incharge in this historical moment, while 45% of nurses declared it was the same (P<0.01). The continuity of themultidisciplinary team was defined as guaranteed for 68% of oncologists, while almost 40% of nurses declared tonot know it. Almost all physicians (95%) answered that their clinical activity was reorganized, compared to a lowerportion of nurses (80%) who replanned their care role (p<0.01). Deferring treatments caused fear and anxiety in62% of physicians and 46% of nurses (P=0.027).

Conclusion:

The survey underlined the need to integrate skills and involve all professional figures in planningcancer patients' treatment to guarantee optimal therapeutic strategies and a global take in charge in all its details, even during emergencies.

Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Language: English Journal: Clinical Cancer Research Year: 2020 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: Databases of international organizations Database: EMBASE Language: English Journal: Clinical Cancer Research Year: 2020 Document Type: Article