Changing from face-to-face to virtual meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic: protocol for a mixed-methods study exploring the impact on cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings

Daisy McInnerney; Donna Chung; Muntzer Mughal; Anjola Onifade; David Holden; Jacob Goodman; Martin Birchall; Michael D Peake; Samantha L Quaife

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064911

Changing from face-to-face to virtual meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic: protocol for a mixed-methods study exploring the impact on cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings

BMJ Open. 2023 Apr 19;13(4):e064911. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064911.

Authors

Daisy McInnerney¹, Donna Chung², Muntzer Mughal³, Anjola Onifade⁴, David Holden³, Jacob Goodman⁵, Martin Birchall³, Michael D Peake³, Samantha L Quaife⁶

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Prevention, Detection and Diagnosis, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK d.mcinnerney@qmul.ac.uk.
² Centre for Cancer Outcomes, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
³ University College London, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
⁴ Imperial College London, Imperial College Healthcare NHS TrusT, London, UK.
⁵ North East London Cancer Alliance, North East London CCG, London, UK.
⁶ Centre for Prevention, Detection and Diagnosis, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.

Abstract

Introduction: In the UK, the National Cancer Plan (2000) requires every cancer patient's care to be reviewed by a multidisciplinary team (MDT). Since the introduction of these guidelines, MDTs have faced escalating demands with increasing numbers and complexity of cases. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented MDTs with the challenge of running MDT meetings virtually rather than face-to-face.This study aims to explore how the change from face-to-face to virtual MDT meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the effectiveness of decision-making in cancer MDT meetings and to make recommendations to improve future cancer MDT working based on the findings.

Methods and analysis: A mixed-methods study with three parallel phases:Semistructured remote qualitative interviews with ≤40 cancer MDT members.A national cross-sectional online survey of cancer MDT members in England, using a validated questionnaire with both multiple-choice and free-text questions.Live observations of ≥6 virtual/hybrid cancer MDT meetings at four NHS Trusts.Participants will be recruited from Cancer Alliances in England. Data collection tools have been developed in consultation with stakeholders, based on a conceptual framework devised from decision-making models and MDT guidelines. Quantitative data will be summarised descriptively, and χ² tests run to explore associations. Qualitative data will be analysed using applied thematic analysis. Using a convergent design, mixed-methods data will be triangulated guided by the conceptual framework.The study has been approved by NHS Research Ethics Committee (London-Hampstead) (22/HRA/0177). The results will be shared through peer-reviewed journals and academic conferences. A report summarising key findings will be used to develop a resource pack for MDTs to translate learnings from this study into improved effectiveness of virtual MDT meetings.The study has been registered on the Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/D2NHW).

Keywords: COVID-19; HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENT; ONCOLOGY; Telemedicine.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Neoplasms* / therapy
Pandemics
Patient Care Team