Management of differentiated thyroid cancer through nuclear medicine facilities during Covid-19 emergency: the telemedicine challenge.
131I
Covid-19
SARS-CoV-2
Southern Italy
Telemedicine
Thyroid cancer
Journal
European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging
ISSN: 1619-7089
Titre abrégé: Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging
Pays: Germany
ID NLM: 101140988
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
03 2021
03 2021
Historique:
received:
10
07
2020
accepted:
13
09
2020
pubmed:
24
9
2020
medline:
20
4
2021
entrez:
23
9
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
To investigate whether a telemedicine service (TMS) carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic impacted on management of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). We retrospectively reviewed the number and the findings of outpatient visits in DTC subjects referred between March 11, 2020, and May 31, 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic at the Radiometabolic Unit of the University of Naples Federico II. Office visits scheduled in March and May 2020 were converted in teleconsultation reaching all patients planned for an in-ward access to advise them to use the TMS for all clinical necessity. The number and the findings of DTC patients evaluated by in-ward access in the corresponding period of 2019 were also assessed for direct comparison. The number of outpatient visits performed by TMS during the pandemic (n = 445) and by in-ward access in the corresponding period of 2019 (n = 525) was comparable with only 15% of outpatient evaluations missed. Our findings demonstrate the utility of telemedicine tools to avoid the potential negative impact of interruption or postponement of diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedures. Therefore, investments in medical network system development, including the implementation of telehealth approaches, should be encouraged at national and international levels.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32965559
doi: 10.1007/s00259-020-05041-0
pii: 10.1007/s00259-020-05041-0
pmc: PMC7509822
doi:
Substances chimiques
Iodine Radioisotopes
0
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
831-836Références
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