ArticleBMJ open2023
Virtually the same? Examining the impact of the COVID-19 related shift to virtual lung cancer multidisciplinary team meetings in the UK National Health Service: a mixed methods study.
Article in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Tumour boards and their quality of structures, processes, and team performance in multidisciplinary cancer care: a systematic review.BMC health services research · 2026Pooled it
- Task Requirements, Workflow Processes and Technological Constraints in Virtual Multidisciplinary Tumour Board Meetings: Insights for Extended Reality-Based Solutions in Thoracic Oncology.Interdisciplinary cardiovascular and thoracic surgery · 2026Article
- Use of Health and Welfare Technology in Palliative Care: State-of-the-Art Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Review
- Artificial Intelligence and Multidisciplinary Oncology Decision-Making: A Systematic Review of LLM Concordance with MDT Recommendations and Implications for Clinical Reasoning Education.Advances in medical education and practice · 2026Review
- Multidisciplinary Telemedicine in Healthcare During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Evaluation of the Virtual Multidisciplinary Team Meeting Model for Adult Patients on Haemodialysis: A Qualitative Study.Journal of evaluation in clinical practice · 2025Article
- Development of the Team Evaluation and Assessment Measure Quality Improvement (TEAM-QI) and Proof-Of-Concept Testing in Maternity Teams.Nursing & health sciences · 2025Article
- Understanding the effectiveness and quality of virtual cancer multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs): a systematic scoping review.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo evaluate the impact of the shift to virtual lung cancer multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in relation to the magnitude of information technology (IT) issues and distractions and MDT members'/managers' perceptions and experiences of this shift.
designA mixed methods study comprising real-time observations of IT issues/distractions within virtual MDTM case discussions held between April and July 2021 and qualitative data from interviews/surveys.
settingEight hospital organisations in Southern England.
participantsTeam members (respiratory physicians, surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, palliative care professionals, nurses and MDT coordinators) and managers (n=190) across 8 local MDTs.
resultsMDTM observations (n=1664) highlighted significant variation between teams regarding IT functionality. IT issues and other distractions relating to the virtual MDTM format were observed 465 times affecting 20.6% of case discussions, most of which were audio issues (18.1%). Case discussions that had audio issues were, on average, 26 s longer (t(1652)=-2.77, p<0.01). A total of 73 MDT members and managers participated in the survey and 41 participated in interviews, with all 8 teams being represented. Increased flexibility, reduced travel time and easier real-time access to patient information were seen as the main advantages of virtual MDTMs. Views regarding the impact on relational aspects and communication differed. In line with observational findings, concerns were raised in relation to IT, including having inappropriate equipment, insufficient bandwidth (impairing image sharing and video communication) and an overarching theme that virtual meeting platforms provided were not fit for purpose.
conclusionsDespite the potential benefits of virtual MDTMs, IT issues can waste valuable MDTM time. If hospital organisations plan to continue virtual MDTMs, a functioning infrastructure is required, necessitating appropriate resource and investment.
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Registered trials
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