[French national survey on incoming phone calls in oncology departments]

Abstract

Introduction: Oral therapies have shifted the follow-up of patients with cancer from hospital to home. As a consequence, the number of incoming calls has increased. To understand the source, reasons, management and burden of calls, we underwent a French national survey. The objective was to describe the way calls are managed in oncology departments.

Methods: The study was a prospective survey in a representative sample of French oncology specialists using oral therapies.

Results: Among 51 participating onco/radiotherapy departments, 86 % of specialists were oncologists or hematologists and 14 % radiation oncologists. Eighty percent were from public centers and 20 % from private ones. The median number of calls/week was 110. Sixty-six percent of calls were from patients and families and 23 % from general practitioners. Upon calls reception by the secretaries, half of them corresponded to a medical question. Sixty-five percent of centers did not have an established specific procedure and 70 % of responders did not specifically train their teams to address the management of calls. Sixty-five percent of the specialists spent more than 30min/day. Most of them considered it disturbing medical activities. Sixty-six percent of patients calls were related to adverse effects of treatments. Twenty-two percent of specialists declared at least one severe adverse effect linked to misinterpretation of a call.

Discussion: With the increase of oral therapies, incoming phone calls represent an important burden of work. To improve calls management, adaptations of organizations are needed.

Keywords: Adverse effects; Ambulatoire; Effets indésirables; Oral treatments; Organisation; Organization; Outpatients; Régulation; Telephone triage; Thérapies orales; Téléphone.