Reactions and countermeasures of medical oncologists towards the incoming COVID-19 pandemic: a WhatsApp messenger-based report from the Italian College of Chief Medical Oncologists

Dynamics of emotion trends in Canadian Twitter users during COVID-19 confinement in relation to caseloads: Artificial intelligence-based emotion detection approach

Multiple waves of COVID-19 have significantly impacted the emotional well-being of all, but many were subject to additional risks associated with forced regulations. The objective of this research was to assess the immediate emotional impact, expressed by Canadian Twitter users, and to estimate the linear relationship, with the vicissitudes of COVID caseloads, using ARIMA time-series regression. We developed two Artificial Intelligence-based algorithms to extract tweets using 18 semantic terms related to social confinement and locked down and then geocoded them to tag Canadian provinces. Tweets (n = 64,732) were classified as positive, negative, and neutral sentiments using a word-based Emotion Lexicon. Our results indicated: that Tweeters were expressing a higher daily percentage of negative sentiments representing, negative anticipation (30.1%), fear (28.1%), and anger (25.3%), than positive sentiments comprising positive anticipation (43.7%), trust (41.4%), and joy (14.9%), and neutral sentiments with mostly no emotions, when hash-tagged social confinement and locked down. In most provinces, negative sentiments took on average two to three days after caseloads increase to emerge, whereas positive sentiments took a slightly longer period of six to seven days to submerge. As daily caseloads increase, negative sentiment percentage increases in Manitoba (by 68% for 100 caseloads increase) and Atlantic Canada (by 89% with 100 caseloads increase) in wave 1(with 30% variations explained), while other provinces showed resilience. The opposite was noted in the positive sentiments. The daily percentage of emotional expression variations explained by daily caseloads in wave one were 30% for negative, 42% for neutral, and 2.1% for positive indicating that the emotional impact is multifactorial. These provincial-level impact differences with varying latency periods should be considered when planning geographically targeted, time-sensitive, confinement-related psychological health promotion efforts. Artificial Intelligence-based Geo-coded sentiment analysis of Twitter data opens possibilities for targeted rapid emotion sentiment detection opportunities.

Smartphone technology for communications between clinicians - A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

This scoping review aims to review explore, assess, and map the literature to inform clinical practice regarding communication between clinicians. Specific Apps/channels used were identified and assessed with a focus on data security with key concepts and knowledge gaps identified.

DATA

The Joanna Briggs Institute framework is followed, with search results reported as per the PRISMA ScR for scoping reviews guidelines.

SOURCES

A systematic search strategy encompassing EBSCO and OneSearch databases was conducted - two identical searches, (June and October 2020) limited to English language articles published 2016-2020. A narrative synthesis was used to integrate and report the findings.

STUDY SELECTION

Sixty-six publications were selected. Twelve from EBSCO, thirty-five from OneSearch, nineteen were hand searched. Sixteen of the publications were research studies, nine were literature reviews, twenty-six were editorial, one was a newspaper article and fourteen were grey literature. Instant Messaging (40%, n = 23), image sharing (41%, n = 24), and video conferencing (19%, n = 11) were functions most popular with clinicians. WhatsApp, generic instant messaging, Facebook messenger, ZOOM, and Skype are evidenced as channels for communication between clinicians within the EU. A sizeable proportion of the publications (38%; n = 25) failed to identify or adequately address technical security concerns and requirements around privacy and data protection.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians use smartphones /Apps to communicate clinical information with each other. The security and privacy issues arising from their communication of sensitive data is absent or only superficially acknowledged within the literature.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Clinician's need clearer guidance on the use of smartphone technology for clinical communications.

WhatsApp Messenger use in oncology: a narrative review on pros and contras of a flexible and practical, non-specific communication tool

The spread of instant messenger systems provides an excellent opportunity and a helpful tool to healthcare professionals. WhatsApp instant messenger use is widely prevalent among health professionals, cancer patients, caregivers and the general population. It is a quick and easy communication tool that may also be used on personal computers and business purposes. WhatsApp instant messenger and other similar tools may be a very useful complement for e-medicine. Instant messaging systems may be helpful, especially in rural areas, in medium- or low-income countries, or to avoid unnecessary travels, improve knowledge and awareness of cancer, monitor home care and support the delivery of home care. The unregulated use of WhatsApp instant messenger requires sound and shared guidelines to assure impeccable professional service. Although a significant number of papers have investigated the roles of social networks in connecting patients to health professionals, there is still a lack of information and scientific data about their uses, benefits and limitations in connecting health providers only for professional communication. The role of instant messenger systems in cancer practice and research needs to be clarified. In this paper, we report a focus on available data, pros and contras of the unregulated use of WhatsApp instant messaging, in the context of e-medicine, as an interprofessional and doctor/patient communication tool in oncology.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Oncologists: Results of an International Study

PURPOSE

As frontline workers facing the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers should be well-prepared to fight the disease and prevent harm to their patients and themselves. Our study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of oncologists in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on them.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated questionnaire disseminated to oncologists by SurveyMonkey. The tool had 42 questions that captured participants' knowledge, attitude, and practice; their experiences; and the pandemic's impact on various aspects of their lives. Participants from Middle East and North African countries, Brazil, and the Philippines completed the electronic survey between April 24 and May 15, 2020.

RESULTS

Of the 1,010 physicians who participated in the study, 54.75% were male and 64.95% were medical or clinical oncologists. The level of knowledge regarding the prevention and transmission of the virus was good in 52% of participants. The majority (92%) were worried about contracting the virus either extremely (30%) or mildly (62%), and 84.85% were worried about transmitting the virus to their families. Approximately 76.93% reported they would take the COVID 19 vaccine once available, with oncologists practicing in Brazil having the highest odds ratio of intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (odds ratio, 11.8, 95% CI, 5.96 to 23.38, P < .001). Participants reported a negative impact of the pandemic on relations with coworkers (15.84%), relations with family (27.84%), their emotional and mental well-being (48.51%), research productivity (34.26%), and financial income (52.28%).

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 pandemic has adverse effects on various personal and professional aspects of oncologists' lives. Interventions should be implemented to mitigate the negative impact and prepare oncologists to manage future crises with more efficiency and resilience.

How can WhatsApp® facilitate the future of medical education and clinical practice?

As part of the modern generation of medical students and prospective future doctors of the United Kingdom's Nation Health Service (NHS), we have grown up in an age where smartphones and instant messaging applications (IMAs) are ubiquitous across all aspects of society. With IMAs being so familiar, we recognise their scope for facilitating our learning of the pre-registration syllabus and how their practical nature could potentially revolutionise healthcare worldwide. It is, therefore, rational to further investigate the benefits of incorporating such technology into these respective settings. In this article, we will further expand on some of the advantages highlighted by E. Colman & E. O'Connor that IMAs, particularly WhatsApp, have in the academic environment which resonate with us. We illustrate our views on IMAs being incorporated into health systems globally through exemplifying the NHS, using reviewed literature.

Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Cancer Patient Care and Treatment: Data from an Outpatient Oncology Clinic in Lombardy (Italy)

Lombardy was the first area in Italy to have an outbreak of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) at the beginning of 2020. In this context, cancer has been reported as a major risk factor for adverse outcomes and death, so oncology societies have quickly released guidelines on cancer care during the pandemic. The aim of this study was to investigate the management of cancer patients and oncological treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic and to describe the containment measures performed in our outpatient clinic at Pavia (Lombardy). A comparison with the same period of the four previous years (2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016) was also performed. Using our electronic databases, we evaluated the number and characteristics of patients accessing the hospital for anticancer drug infusion from 24 February, 2020 to 30 April, 2020 and the number of radiological exams performed. Although a significant reduction in access for therapy was seen when compared with 2019 (2590 versus 2974, access rate ratio (ARR) = 0.85, p < 0.001), no significant differences in access numbers and ARR was evident between 2020 and 2018, 2017, or 2016 (2590 versus 2626 (ARR = 0.07), 2660 (ARR = 0.99), and 2694 (ARR = 0.96), respectively, p > 0.05). In 2020, 63 patients delayed treatment: 38% for "pandemic fear", 18% for travel restrictions, 13% for quarantine, 18% for flu syndrome other than COVID-19, and 13% for worsening of clinical conditions and death. Only 7/469 patients developed COVID-19. A significant reduction in radiological exams was found in 2020 versus all the other years considered (211 versus 360, 355, 385, 390 for the years 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively, p < 0.001). The low incidence of COVID-19 among our cancer patients, along with the hospital policy to control infection, enabled safe cancer treatment and a continuum of care in most patients, while a small fraction of patients experienced a therapeutic delay due to patient-related reasons.