Redistribution of Outpatient Oncologic Surgical Specialty Referrals During COVID-19

Abstract

Background: Initial reports of significantly worse outcomes for cancer patients with COVID-19 led to guidelines for triaging surgical cancer treatment. We sought to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on oncologic surgical specialty referrals. Methods: We compared referrals to oncologic surgical specialty clinics at an academic tertiary care institution following implementation of stay-at-home orders in California (3/19/20–7/31/20, “COVID”) to the same time period the year prior (3/19/19–7/31/19, “Pre-COVID”). The number of appointments, consulted surgical services, insurance types, acuity of diagnoses, and times from referral to first appointment (TRFA) were assessed. Results: The overall number of patients seen in matched time periods decreased by 21.6% from 900 (pre-COVID) to 705 (COVID). Proportions of patients with malignant and suspicious diagnoses, surgical and thoracic oncology visits, and Medicaid insurance differed from comparison groups during the COVID period (P