Cancer programs respond to COVID-19

Cancer programs respond to COVID-19

The Advisory Board’s Oncology Roundtable recently hosted a webinar where they shared what they have heard from cancer programs responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patient Safety

Obviously priority number 1 is patient safety. As the virus spreads in every state in the U.S. and cases multiply exponentially in dense, urban areas, cancer care providers are developing new and innovative ways to deliver the care their patients need. The Advisory Board shared the operational changes they are hearing about including creating fast-track areas for injections, separating lab and infusion visits, extending office hours, and even having patients wait in their cars instead of the waiting room for appointments:

Cancer programs respond to COVID-19

For patients, the Oncology Roundtable researchers encouraged clinics to create a dedicated webpage to house all material pertaining to COVID-19, including updated cancer program policies and patient information – similar to the one Seattle Cancer Care Alliance created – and leverage social media channels to proactively deliver important information.

Staff Communication

For staff, they emphasized the importance of establishing clear communication channels. Give staff a consistent source of truth, minimize non-essential emails, field and respond to rumors, and recognize the sacrifices team members are making.

Cancer care providers will continue to innovate and iterate as this healthcare crisis continues to develop – for tools on how to respond today and how to prepare for the long-term impact, visit advisory.com/covid-19 for resources from the Advisory Board.


Additional Resources

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