Main Session
Sep
30
PQA 09 - Hematologic Malignancies, Health Services Research, Digital Health Innovation and Informatics
3698 - Implementation of an EHR-Integrated Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Tumor Board at an Academic Institution
Presenter(s)
Madhav Patel, MD, BS - Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY
M. Patel1, K. M. Daniell2, C. D. Wood3, S. Tung4,5, J. Gonzalez1, T. Rosenblatt1, B. Henick6, S. Troob6, L. A. Kachnic2, S. Caruana6, and L. K. Dad7; 1Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 3Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, 4New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, 5NewYork-Presbyterian / Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY, 6Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 7Department of Radiation Oncology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY
Purpose/Objective(s): Traditional multidisciplinary tumor board (MTB) workflows rely on nonclinical staff to populate patient lists, with information transfer occurring through external systems (e.g., paper, email), leading to inefficiencies and potential errors. This study evaluates the feasibility and clinical utility of implementing a virtual, electronic health record (EHR)-integrated MTB for head and neck cancer (HNC) at a major academic institution.
Materials/Methods:
An EHR-integrated HNC MTB was developed through collaboration between the departments of radiation oncology, otolaryngology, and with health care software. Implemented in January 2024, meetings were held weekly via Zoom, with Outlook invitations and daily reminder emails sent to participants. The MTB schedule was integrated into EHR user profiles, allowing care team members to add patients via an order using health care software. Following each MTB, a consensus note using health care software documented interdisciplinary discussions and decisions. After 12 months, care team members (physicians, advanced practice providers, and other oncological staff) completed a voluntary survey on a survey platform assessing the practicality of the EHR-based workflow, and its impact on clinical decision-making and education.Results:
Among 58 invited participants, 21 (36%) completed the survey. Most respondents reported that this new MTB workflow improved the application of evidence-based guidelines (17/18, 94%), incorporation of novel strategies (16/18, 89%), and use of quality indicators (16/18, 89%) in clinical, research, and educational activities. Additionally, the MTB enhanced communication with patients and families (14/18, 78%), and strengthened ethical decision-making (14/17, 82%) and culturally competent care (13/19, 68%). On a 1–10 scale, most participants rated integration of the MTB schedule into health care software (18/19, 95%) and weekly email reminders (14/19, 74%) as highly valuable (=8). The majority also rated the functionality of adding patients via health care software (15/18, 83%) and the usefulness of consensus notes (18/19, 95%) as =8 taken in health care software. Suggested improvements included increasing time for case-based teaching (6/19, 32%) and holding MTB on a consistent weekday (5/19, 26%). Overall satisfaction was high, with 16/19 (84%) rating the EHR-integrated MTB =8.Conclusion:
Clinical practice integration of a virtual, health care software-based HNC MTB improved care team members’ experience with workflow efficiency and clinical decision-making, with a reported high overall satisfaction using the platform. These findings support the continued optimization and expansion of EHR-integrated MTBs in oncologic care.