title: Comparison of recommendations for radiotherapy from two contemporaneous thoracic multidisciplinary meeting formats: co-located and video conference.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thoracic multidisciplinary meetings (TMDM) are a key component of lung cancer patient management. The optimal design, organisation and function of TMDM are uncertain, and different models may serve different purposes. In the Auckland/Northland region, there are two contemporaneous weekly TMDM using different formats; one is a co-located TMDM (C-TMDM), and the other is a video conference TMDM (V-TMDM) connecting different locations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the rates of referral for radiotherapy (RT) and concordance between recommendations for RT and actual treatment received differed between the two TMDM formats.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of demographical and clinical data for cases referred for RT from both TMDM between January-June 2009 and the actual RT delivered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-nine and 31 lung cancers were referred for RT from the co-located TMDM and the video conference TMDM respectively. While there were significant differences in demographics related to areas of domicile, there were no significant differences between the TMDM in (i) the proportion of cases referred for RT that received RT, (ii) the intent of treatment recommended by the TMDM and the intent of RT delivered, or (iii) transit times to commencement of RT between cases referred from the different TMDM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The similar results from the different formats of TMDM indicate that cases discussed with the use of e-health technologies are not disadvantaged with respect to recommended therapy nor in the appropriateness of decisions of the TMDM. Use of such technology may reduce the existing disparities in health outcomes between urban and rural patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Auckland Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kolbe
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Elder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003226:Congresses as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D015272:Pulmonary Medicine; D018787:Radiation Oncology; D011871:Radiology; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012423:Rural Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013903:Thoracic Surgery; D049269:Videoconferencing