How the coronavirus crisis has accelerated a digital revolution in oncology treatment

Patient management is as complex as managing a large project. Modern discourse-based medicine has multiple streams of communications ongoing between doctors, between doctors and patients, between doctors and support staff - nurses and coordinators, etc. Communication is the essence of decision-making in the multidisciplinary era and respects the patient’s right to know. This goes hand in hand with the documentation and recording of the proceedings and the procedures. Decisions made within the patient’s medical file are substantive, as are all patient communications.

In parallel to the digital revolution in which all information is computerized, doctors face a complex multi-system where information exists but in different systems that do not always communicate smoothly between them. The novel coronavirus crisis accelerated the digital move and there was no choice for employees other than to work with it.

Hospitals and health organizations have unique needs when it comes to internal communication. These are large and complex organizations where communication involves the medical decision-making process. Information transmitted between the different actors is sensitive, and information security is a basic requirement nowadays in any organizational network, because the leakage of information from the organization to the outside can often harm patients. Health organizations also face barriers to implementation of technological changes, sometimes from the team itself which is overwhelmed with different systems, and are anxious about their integration and continual need for learning.

The oncology division represents a complex medical system that coordinates multiple work teams, multidisciplinary discussions and coordination with many medical fields such as surgery, imaging, gastroenterology, endocrinology, etc. Coordination also needs to be integrated with various sites in the hospital such as the inpatient department, day hospitalization and radiation therapy.

This challenge has been posed to the innovation unit in the Ichilov Oncology Unit, the ADIR-O unit, as of paramount importance. The ADIR-O unit was built in oncology, exactly in order to bridge and map needs, challenges with out-ofthe-box thinking and finding the appropriate solutions. As part of the general challenge, when considering the communication aspect, the unit scanned several platforms, finally zeroing in on Microsoft’s TEAMS platform as a leading candidate. The unit worked closely with the hospital’s digital and IT departments, as well as the Information Systems and Computing Ministry, to finally decide to move forward with the platform.

In December 2019, a pilot was launched in the oncology division to examine the impact of the system on work processes.

Incorporating a TEAMS system into the oncology division enabled the rapid integration of the system during the coronavirus crisis and throughout Ichilov Medical Center. This enabled secure organizational communication, discourse, retention and management of organizational knowledge, messaging and connecting employees for organizational purposes.

Facilitating the continual need for staff retention, continuity of care while working in shifts and partial isolation of the medical team, the needs for uniform and continuous internal communication were kept.

Adaption of this type of environment amongst all employees is a challenge. Most employees in a hospital and health organizations are not in an office-type setting and not computer attached. The medical staff is in the wards, consulting rooms or treatment rooms for the patients. Some even work off-site, which is why there is a significant need for a comfortable and mobile-friendly system.

We see the creation of interfaces between different clinical systems and the TEAMS medical team, as a meaningful breakthrough.

The TEAMS platform is designed to integrate groups of all kinds, facilitate decision-making, file sharing, brainstorming, task planning, and accomplishment of shared goals while continuously retaining information and knowledge.

During the pilot and in preparation for the future we are examining how the clinical systems interface, and continuing the open discussion with the Microsoft team to maximize tailoring the capabilities of the system to those of the natural clinical medical progress. Working together – open, intuitive, and efficient workspaces can promote effective collaboration to achieve enterprise goals and improve atmosphere overall, to benefit the treatment.

During the pilot and in preparation for the future, we look forward to connect the clinical systems interface with the Microsoft team to maximize tailored capabilities. That is intended to continue the natural clinical medical progress.

The system is now used as the hospital’s leading platform and serves as a team discussion and lectures are broadcast to all hospital staff. This is our story, serving as an example of the implementation of an organizational communication system.

The writer is a medical oncology specialist and is the Acting head of the Research Unit, Oncology Division at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital).