McInnerney, D; Chung, D; Mughal, M; Onifade, A; Holden, D; Goodman, J; Birchall, M; ... Quaife, SL; + view all McInnerney, D; Chung, D; Mughal, M; Onifade, A; Holden, D; Goodman, J; Birchall, M; Peake, MD; Quaife, SL; - view fewer (2023) 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 , 13 (4) , Article e064911. 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064911.

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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).

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