Abstract
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Background: Cancer care is heavily centered in health care facilities due to the requirements of providing complex multidisciplinary care with multiple testing and interventions. We describe our experience in implementing a new model of care to minimize cancer patients visit to health care facilities and to reduce the risk of infections and to decrease the pressure on the health care system. Methods: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we reengineered the cancer care process to reduce patients visit to the hospital by the implementation of a Care Near Home (CNH) Model, which comprises of four components: virtual clinic, laboratory testing near home, shipping medications and supplies, and involving local health care facilities. The effectiveness and acceptance of this new model has been assessed by the delivery of timely care successfully and assessing the satisfaction patients and healthcare providers. Results: On March 18, 2020, we launched the virtual clinics followed by different components of the model. The number of virtual clinic visits has increased significantly from 399 visits in March to 1107 in April 2020. More the 90% of physicians and patients who responded to the survey expressed their acceptance and satisfaction with the virtual clinic services. Medications were shipped to total of 603 patients. Of those, 578 (96%) patients received their medications (378 patients outside city, 200 patients inside city of which, 95% received medications within 24 hours). Only 25 (4%) patients did not receive their medications and we arrange for alternative solutions. Laboratories in various regions were set up to perform the tests for our patients and to communicate the results through our electronic healthcare records system. The process of ordering and performing the test were piloted with success and now we are at the scaling up phase. Conclusions: Although the implementation of CNH Model was driven by COVID-19 pandemic, it will be integrated in our work process and utilized as a long term approach to manage many of our patients because it is more convenient to them and more cost effective to the health care system.