Heart Transplantation Selection Committee Meetings: Transitioning from In-Person to Remote Video Meetings

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced numerous changes to clinical and administrative practices in heart transplantation. One change is the transition of transplant selection committee meetings from in-person to remote video conference in order to maintain social distancing requirements. The impact of this transition on committee members and patient care is unknown. METHODS: A 35-item anonymous survey, adapted from the validated Telehealth Usability Questionnaire, was developed and distributed electronically to the UCLA heart transplant selection committee. Quantitative and qualitative descriptive analyses were performed. RESULTS: Of 83 committee members queried, 46 (55%) responded. 50% were non-physician members and 50% were physician members, including 48% cardiologists, 13% anesthesiologists, and 9% surgeons. Over a 6 week period, there was a 5% increase in the average number of attendees from in-person to video meetings. Respondents were satisfied with the ease of use, interface quality, and interaction quality of the video conference system, except for the ability to see meeting attendees. Overall, respondents were satisfied with video meetings, agreeing that they could contribute effectively and achieve their goals over video. However, if given the choice, 54% still preferred the in-person format. Respondents did not feel that video meetings impacted patient care, such as ability to clarify clinical questions, create management plans, and determine and/or update transplant listing status. Multitasking, technology integration, and location convenience were the predominant positive aspects of video meetings, while communication was the main negative, including inability to see attendees, audio interruptions and barriers to communication flow. Communication and clinical decision-making were the predominant positive aspects of in-person meetings (Figure). CONCLUSIONS: The transition from in-person to remote video conference heart transplantation selection committee meetings during the COVID-19 era has been well-received and does not appear to affect committee members’ perception of their ability to deliver patient care. Future, longer-term studies are needed to evaluate the impact of video meetings on transplant-related outcomes.