Dr. Gadzinski discusses positive telemedicine experience in urologic cancer

Adam J. Gadzinski, MD, MS, discusses the success of telemedicine multidisciplinary urologic cancer clinics implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic by the University of Washington/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Gadzinski is an acting instructor of urologic oncology at the Urology Clinic at the University of Washington Medical Center.

At the 2020 Society of Urologic Oncology Annual Meeting, Gadzinski shared research showing how these telemedicine multidisciplinary urologic cancer clinics helped expand healthcare access during the pandemic and achieved a high level of patient satisfaction. The clinics delivered a positive patient experience by sparing substantial travel burden, while still delivering the high-quality care patients were accustomed to from their previous in-person medical visits.

The telemedicine multidisciplinary clinics consist of video visits with a urologic oncologist, medical oncologist, and radiation oncologist. Video visits were conducted in the same format as in-person visits would have been prior to the pandemic. In addition, tumor boards that included radiologists and pathologists were conducted using video conferences.