ESTRO 2023 - Abstract Book

S597

Monday 15 May 2023

ESTRO 2023

PD-0730 Experience of the Initial Implementation of an ePROMs Service for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer L. Pascal 1,2 , M. Van Hemelrijck 3 , T. Guerrero Urbano 4,2 , M. Lei 4,2 1 Kings College London , School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, London, United Kingdom; 2 Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Oncology , London, United Kingdom; 3 Kings College London , School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, London, United Kingdom; 4 Kings College London, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, London, United Kingdom Purpose or Objective Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) are validated questionnaires completed by patients providing a perspective on their current state of health and Quality of Life (QoL). When used in clinical practice, PROMs can monitor for adverse toxicities allowing the early identification of struggling patients. Using PROMs can help improve patient-clinician communication and both patient and health service outcomes. There is increased recognition of the importance of using them in cancer clinical practice, but currently little uptake. Therefore, we launched an electronic PROMs (ePROMs) service for patients with Head and Neck Cancer (HNC). A pilot preceded this to assess the feasibility and acceptability of ePROMs collection. From this we identified implementation factors that could affect successful uptake. These were then used to guide the initial implementation of the ePROMs service in the HNC clinic. Materials and Methods All patients attending the HNC outpatient clinic for an appointment to see their oncologist were sent a text message with a web link to complete the ePROMs (EORTC QLQ HN43) two days prior via the electronic platform DrDoctor. This was then made available in the electronic health record for real time review and used to guide the clinical consultation. Over 4 weeks, patients who had participated were invited to complete an anonymous satisfaction survey of the process. After 4 months, a feedback session was held with clinicians to obtain feedback and understand their experience of the initial implementation. Analytical data was also collected on completion rates and the time taken to complete the ePROMs. Results Between November 2021 and March 2022, 871 text message notifications were sent and a total of 520 were completed giving an overall completion rate of 59.7%. The median time to complete was 6 minutes interquartile range (4 – 9 minutes). From the feedback session with the clinicians, it was clear that the perspective on the value of the ePROMs and their usage varied. Some clinicians felt they increased consultation times as more issues were discussed, while others felt it made the clinic more efficient. 46 patients completed the patient satisfaction survey. The overall feedback was very positive with 95.7% of patients reporting they had a good experience completing the ePROMs. 65.2% felt that it helped them with discussions about their care and treatment. However, only 30.4% of patients felt that doctors directly discussed the results of the PROMs with them. Conclusion The initial experience highlights the importance of maximising clinician engagement by providing education and training on the value of using PROMs and the potential benefits they may have in clinical practice. Efforts should focus on achieving a uniform knowledge base and usage by the clinicians to change current behaviour and improve the proportion of patients who report that clinicians discuss the results of the PROMs with them. PD-0731 Online education sessions for RTTs of low- and middle-income countries in Asia-Pacific A. Leong 1,2 , C. Opie 3 , C. Vartak 4 , I. Ward 5 1 Bowen Icon Cancer Centre, Radiation Therapy, Wellington, New Zealand; 2 University of Otago, Department of Radiation Therapy, Wellington, New Zealand; 3 Royal North Shore Hospital, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Sydney, Australia; 4 Tata Memorial Hospital, Radiation Therapy, Mumbai, India; 5 Canterbury Regional Cancer & Haematology Service, Radiation Oncology, Christchurch, New Zealand Purpose or Objective Starting in 2021, the Asia-Pacific Radiation Oncology Network (ASPRONET), an initiative of the IAEA, commenced online education sessions for RTTs across 19 member states within Asia-Pacific. Sessions are targeted towards participants from low- and middle-income countries with limited access to professional development activities. Here we report our initial experience launching the program, as well as survey results evaluating barriers to online participation and preferences for future online education initiatives. Materials and Methods The first series of ASPRONET online RTT education sessions were run monthly, and themed on anatomical sites. To promote engagement, submissions were encouraged from session registrants using a slide template covering key areas of local RTT practice. Survey one (RTT-S1) was conducted during the first series to evaluate participant experience and barriers to participation. A subsequent survey (RTT-S2) at the conclusion of the first series was open to RTTs across member states, independent of session attendance, and assessed preferences for future online education initiatives. Results 9 online RTT education sessions were run between December 2021 and August 2022. Registrants and attendees were seen to increase, and then slightly decline in latter sessions (Fig 1). Anecdotally, a strong rapport was built with repeat attendees who actively engaged in sharing local practice norms and challenges. 21 RTTs from 7 countries responded to RTT-S1. Attendees consistently (93%) reported the sessions as interesting and relevant to their clinical practice. 93% of respondents reported the clarity of audio and video as good/excellent, while 89% reported good/excellent comprehension of English used in discussion and on slides. 60% of attendees joined sessions from a smartphone or tablet. Of those unable to attend one or more sessions, 71% reported clinical workload as the main barrier. 171 RTTs from 10 countries responded to RTT-S2. Diverse clinical contexts were reported (Table 1). 93% of respondents expressed an interest in joining online RTT education sessions. Respondents also expressed a desire to engage with RTTs from diverse backgrounds (88%), discuss clinical practice interactively with other participants (82%) and gain support on a change in practice specific to their local institution (87%).