CML Outcomes and Care Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The study aims to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of health care and services to patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) accessing treatment through The Max Foundation. RECENT FINDINGS: An online survey was developed and sent via email to 527 partner physicians who had active patients under their care in July 2020, asking about the disruption of health services with multiple-choice answers or a five-point ordinal scale. Data from The Max Foundation’s Patient Access Tracking System (PATS®) was analyzed to evaluate program performance in 2020 compared with 2019. PATS® is used to track key patient information and supply chain data to ensure robust reporting, quality assurance, and safety. Among the 111 physicians who responded (20% response rate), 48% reported that someone on their team had contracted COVID-19. A total of 95 (85%) physicians reported at least some disruption of services to patients due to COVID-19, with 29 (26%) reporting frequent or complete disruption. Almost all physicians in the South Asia and Asia Pacific regions reported disruption (96% and 95%, respectively), compared with three quarters of physicians in Latin America. Institutions overcame challenges using a variety of solutions including telemedicine (60%), electronic prescriptions (45%), home delivery via courier services (31%), government workers (9%), and dispensation coordination with regional hospitals (14%). SUMMARY: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted services for CML physicians and patients worldwide. Overall, these disruptions did not appear to significantly affect The Max Foundation’s ability to provide patients with access to treatment, as novel approaches in telemedicine, supply chain, and dispensing, as well as provision of guidance and support for physicians were utilized to overcame disruption of services.