2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer (Posters)-P1.12-02. The Impact of COVID-19 on Quality of Care for Lung Cancer - Analyses of Prospective Clinical Data from The EnRICH Cohort

P1.12-02. The Impact of COVID-19 on Quality of Care for Lung Cancer - Analyses of Prospective Clinical Data from The EnRICH Cohort

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The impact of COVID-19 on the quality of care for lung cancer was examined through analyses of data from the EnRICH Cohort, a clinical study of over 2000 lung cancer patients in New South Wales, Australia. The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in healthcare delivery, including a shift to virtual consultations and the postponement or cancellation of procedures. The study found decreases in primary care consultations, emergency department visits, and hospital surgical activity. The EnRICH dataset, which includes comprehensive patient information and clinical quality indicators, was used to assess the impact of COVID-19.<br /><br />The results showed that there were fewer lung cancer diagnoses within 28 days of symptom investigation in the post-COVID-19 cohort. The median time from symptom investigation to diagnosis increased overall and for patients with stage I-III disease. However, there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients starting treatment within 28 days of diagnosis. The proportion of stage III patients discussed by a multidisciplinary team and those with advanced disease referred to palliative care improved after COVID-19. <br /><br />Despite these variations in performance against clinical quality indicators, there was no impact on one-year survival. The study concluded that further investigation is needed to determine whether these changes in healthcare delivery or patient healthcare-seeking behavior are responsible for the observed variations.<br /><br />In summary, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the quality of care for lung cancer, with delays in diagnosis but no impact on survival. The study highlights the need for ongoing research to understand the long-term effects of the pandemic on cancer care.

Asset Subtitle

Bea Brown, Australia

Meta Tag

Speaker Bea Brown, Australia

Topic Management of Lung Cancer in the Era of COVID-21

Keywords

COVID-19

lung cancer

quality of care

EnRICH Cohort

healthcare delivery

diagnosis

treatment

palliative care

one-year survival

cancer care