Abstract PO-072: Doctors and nurses during COVID19 pandemic: A different perception of cancer care

Abstract

Abstract Background: The spread of coronavirus disease brought the need to reorganize clinical activity in oncology. Cancer patients are very vulnerable, and it is well known that their treatment has to be strictly planned. The most critical considerations still relate to the entry of the virus into hospitals, the heart of health care, where cancer patients are protected. Instead, during the COVID19 pandemic the oncologic department had to limit access to care to protect patients from a more dangerous disease for them, witnessing a paradox of health care. This brought with it worries in oncologic health care professionals in replanning activities in order to guarantee therapeutic continuity and quality of care. It is well known that physicians and nurses have different role concepts and role expectations. The purpose of our study was to investigate doctors’ and nurses' perception of cancer patient reorganization during the COVID19 pandemic 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 National Health Care System during the pandemic to investigate clinical activity reorganization and cancer patient management 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 in charge in this historical moment, while 45% of nurses declared it was the same (P<0.01). The continuity of the multidisciplinary team was defined as guaranteed for 68% of oncologists, while almost 40% of nurses declared to not know it. Almost all physicians (95%) answered that their clinical activity was reorganized, compared to a lower portion of nurses (80%) who replanned their care role (p<0.01). Deferring treatments caused fear and anxiety in 62% of physicians and 46% of nurses (P=0.027). Conclusion: The survey underlined the need to integrate skills and involve all professional figures in planning cancer patients’ treatment to guarantee optimal therapeutic strategies and a global take in charge in all its details, even during emergencies. Citation Format: Lucia Bastianelli, Filippo Merloni, Nicoletta Ranallo, Luca Cantini, Lorenzo Mariotti, Alessandra Lucarelli, Zelmira Ballatore, Rossana Berardi. Doctors and nurses during COVID19 pandemic: A different perception of cancer care [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Meeting: COVID-19 and Cancer; 2020 Jul 20-22. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(18_Suppl):Abstract nr PO-072.