Virtual Sarcoma Disease Multidisciplinary Team: a successful experience in the Era of telemedicine and COVID-19 in Italy

Francesca Salvatori¹Barbara Rossi²Concetta Elisa Onesti^3*SABRINA VARI³Serena Ceddia³Elisa Checcucci³Antonella Cosimati³FEDERICA RIVA³Davide Renna⁴Roberto Biagini²Virginia Ferraresi³

• ¹Medical Oncology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy;, Rome, Italy
• ²Oncological Orthopaedics Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute (IRE), Rome, Italy, Rome, Italy
• ³Sarcomas and Rare Tumors Unit, Clinical Department and Oncological Research, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
• ⁴Oncology and Oncohematology Unit, Regional General Hospital “F. Miulli”, Acquaviva delle Fonti (BA), Italy, Acquaviva delle Fonti, Italy

Background: Due to their rarity and complexity Sarcomas require specialized multidisciplinary team management. COVID-19 pandemic brought to a rapid implementation of telemedicine and activation of digital tools. This study evaluates the perception of virtual disease multidisciplinary team among healthcare professionals of an EUropean RAre CANcer referral center. Methods: An online survey was administered to the participants of Regina Elena National Cancer Institute’s Sarcoma disease multidisciplinary team meetings held between 2020 and 2022. It was composed of 40 questions comparing face-to-face and virtual meetings. Data from the Institutional disease multidisciplinary team from 2019 to 2022 were also analyzed retrospectively to compare the pre-covid, covid, and post-covid phases. Results: 22 healthcare professionals answered the survey. In their opinion, decision-making process was not affected by virtual modality (86.0%). Regarding virtual meetings 90.0% were highly/moderately satisfied with depth of discussion, 95.0%-100% were able to interact adequately and access all relevant data. The most important improvements of virtual disease multidisciplinary team were better quality of clinical approach/research (22.7-31.8%), technological innovations (50.0%), and logistical setting (95.5%). 90.0-100% thought that virtual disease multidisciplinary team could be approved thereafter. We observed an increase in participation rate from 58.0%, to 62.0%, to 64.0% (p 0.0159) and a rise in the new cases discussed at meetings compared to the re-discussed ones from 30.1% to 37.9% to 42.3% (p<0.0001) in the pre-covid, covid and post-covid phases respectively. Conclusions: Virtual disease multidisciplinary team enhances participation and discussion quality without compromising patient care.