Delivering cancer care in the COVID-19 era: Response and recovery strategies, clinical operations

Cancer care providers should prepare to increase clinical capacity as patients return for services after their care was disrupted by COVID-19.

While every organization is unique and will need to tailor clinical operations to their situation, below are practical strategies that cancer programs can deploy to position themselves for a successful pandemic recovery.

» Maximize telehealth for real-time patient care (nonemergent visits).

» Reduce on-site clinical encounters by using modified treatment plans (e.g., hypofractionationed radiation therapy) and shifting volumes to alternative care settings (e.g., oral oncolytics, in-home infusions).

» Scale-up ambulatory clinics to maximize capacity outside the hospital and be proactive about decanting volume from busy operational hubs; use remote care or satellite clinics when appropriate.

» Replace surgical procedures where appropriate alternatives exist (e.g., radioembolization, radio frequency ablation, cryoablation).

» Address bottlenecks in common spaces and diagnostic areas by extending operating hours or implementing time blocks.

» Incorporate social distancing measures (e.g., virtual reception, spaced-out infusion chairs, alternative patient queuing procedures).

» Ensure clinical operations are flexible given the likelihood of having to ramp up (and down) based on surge periods.

This is part of the COVID-19 oncology response series from ECG Management Consultants. For more information, visit ECG’s website.

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