Utilization of the medical oncology pager and call center: Characterizing forgotten pillars of telemedicine in the digital era.

Authors

Richard Godby

Richard Godby

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Richard Godby, Caleb C. Bentz, Steven Ray Hwang, Jonas Paludo, Ronald S. Go

Organizations

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Research Funding

No funding received
None.

Background: Oncology has entered the digital era, accompanied by changes in patient interactions and expectations involving telemedicine. While much emphasis is appropriately placed on digital interactions with patients, little is known about modern non-digital interactions with patients in oncology practices. Methods: We analyzed Medical Oncology Pager (MOP) data from 7/1/18 – 4/14/23, during which patients had access to the electronic health record and messaging capabilities. The MOP for Mayo Clinic (Rochester) is covered by the medical oncology fellows, including after hours (6PM – 7AM). It covers consults and direct patient calls after hours and during weekends, in addition to critical results back up and inpatient oncology matters at all times. We also analyzed Medical Oncology Call Center (MOCC) data since 6/1/22, which takes inbound patient calls during working hours (7AM – 6PM) and is staffed by appointment office employees. Results: The MOP received a total of 17,679 pages during the analyzed period for a mean of 10.1 pages per day. Of these, 6,319 pages occurred after hours. The most after-hours pages were received on Fridays (n=1,091) and the least on Sundays (n=701); of those years with fully available data, 2022 had the highest volume (n=1,405) (Table 1). When comparing the MOP activity pre-pandemic (7/1/18 – 3/10/20) and intra-pandemic (3/11/20 – 4/14/23), the mean number of after-hours pages per day was relatively stable with 3.47 pre-pandemic and 3.69 intra-pandemic. Since 6/1/22, the MOCC has averaged 6,464 inbound calls per month during working hours, each of which had an average talk time of approximately five minutes. The majority of inbound calls occur on Monday mornings between 9 – 11AM, with over 6,500 recorded throughout the previous year. Conclusions: Telemedicine is multi-faceted, comprised of both digital and non-digital patient interactions. We show that many oncology patients utilize telephone communication with the healthcare system despite increased availability of digital capabilities. These data have implications for addressing the digital divide for those with limited digital access, serving older patient populations unfamiliar with digital technologies, healthcare navigation, trainee responsibilities, and resource allocation. Further work and standardization in non-digital telemedicine is necessary as it remains a pillar of modern healthcare delivery and oncology practices.

After hours medical oncology pager (MOP) activity.

After Hours MOP Activity201820192020202120222023Grand Total
Sunday5812816416914240701
Monday8220417819120048903
Tuesday7520718720320849929
Wednesday11321318421620061987
Thursday7419118720120150904
Friday101223241208246721091
Saturday6315817615820841804
Grand Total56613241317134614053616319

Disclaimer

This material on this page is ©2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology, all rights reserved. Licensing available upon request. For more information, please contact licensing@asco.org

Abstract Details

Meeting

2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session B

Track

Health Care Access, Equity, and Disparities,Technology and Innovation in Quality of Care,Palliative and Supportive Care

Sub Track

Impact of Telemedicine

Citation

JCO Oncol Pract 19, 2023 (suppl 11; abstr 518)

DOI

10.1200/OP.2023.19.11_suppl.518

Abstract #

518

Poster Bd #

K21

Abstract Disclosures

Similar Abstracts

First Author: Emre Dal

Abstract

2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Telehealth use among cancer survivors.

First Author: Melinda Laine Hsu

First Author: Avnish K Bhatia

First Author: Utkarsh Goel