In-person versus virtual heart transplantation selection committee meetings: Longer-term impact on committee member perceptions and patient selection outcomes

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in heart transplantation, including transitioning from in-person to virtual selection committee meetings. The longer-term impact of this transition on committee perceptions and patient selection outcomes has not been described. An anonymous survey was administered to our institution’s selection committee. Among 58 regular attendees, there were 21 physician and 21 non-physician respondents. Selection outcomes were compared for patients discussed during in-person meetings (March 1, 2017 – March 14, 2020) with those of virtual meetings (March 15, 2020 – March 31, 2023). Though a virtual format was generally preferred, respondents highlighted a lack of accountability and spontaneous discussion. Among the 529 patients evaluated during the study period, there was a significant difference in selection outcomes between the virtual and in-person cohorts owing to lower rates of deferral and higher rates of approval in the virtual era overall (p=0.009) and notably among men, but not women (p=0.022).