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The Latin American Brain Tumor Board teleconference: results of a web-based survey to evaluate participant experience utilizing this resource

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Abstract

Purpose

The Latin American Brain Tumor Board (LATB) is a weekly teleconference connecting pediatric neuro-oncologists from referral centers in high-income countries with pediatric subspecialists from 20 Latin American countries since 2013. This survey explored the participants’ experience utilizing this resource.

Methods

A cross-sectional electronic questionnaire was distributed to 159 participants through email and Cure4Kids.

Results

Ninety-five respondents (60%) from all the participating countries completed the survey. Sixty-one reported frequent-attendance (≥ 1 per month), 23 reported infrequent-attendance (< 1 per month), and 11 never participated. The most frequently reported attendance-barriers were the subspecialist’s workload (64%), the timing of the teleconference (38%), and Internet connectivity problems (29%). Subspecialist’s workload was more frequently reported as a barrier compared with other barriers, in both the frequent- and infrequent-attendance groups (p < 0.05), with the exception of the timing of the meeting in the infrequent-attendance group. More than 80% of attendees found the frequency and duration of the teleconference were sufficient. Utilizing Spanish as the primary language was reported to enhance the recommendations by 93% of the attendees. Moreover, 84% reported that the recommendations (almost) always fit the local circumstances. Furthermore, 99% of attendees found the teleconference provided a continuing medical education opportunity. Finally, 96% of attendees (almost) always found that the provided recommendations helped to improve the outcomes/quality of life of the patients.

Conclusions

The LATB teleconference provided a valuable tool for the management of pediatric brain tumors in Latin America as it provided a feasible and easy to access continued medical education opportunity for the participants.

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Notes

  1. The six-global pediatric neuro-oncologists are from the following institutions: Hospital for Sick Children (Canada), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (USA), Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (Spain), Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús (Spain), and Nationwide Children’s Hospital (USA).

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Scott L. Coven, DO, MPH for his contribution to this study and his role in reviewing the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Department of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplant, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University, 700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA

    Mohammad H. Abu Arja, Joseph R. Stanek, Jonathan L. Finlay & Diana S. Osorio

  2. The Department of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain

    Andrés E. Morales La Madrid

  3. The Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant Department, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain

    Alvaro Lassaletta

  4. The Department of Hematology Oncology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada

    Ute Bartels

  5. Global Pediatric Medicine Department, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA

    Ibrahim Qaddoumi

Authors
  1. Mohammad H. Abu Arja
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  2. Joseph R. Stanek
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  3. Andrés E. Morales La Madrid
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  4. Alvaro Lassaletta
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  5. Ute Bartels
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  6. Ibrahim Qaddoumi
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  7. Jonathan L. Finlay
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  8. Diana S. Osorio
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Diana S. Osorio.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Electronic supplementary material

Online Resource 1

The survey questions (PDF 58 kb)

Online Resource 2

Detailed information of attendees’ answers to the survey questions (PDF 82 kb)

Online Resource 3

Participants’ responses to survey questions related to the post-teleconference summery reports (PDF 67 kb)

Online Resource 4

Subspecialites requested to be included in the Latin American Brain Tumor Board teleconference (PDF 49 kb)

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Abu Arja, M.H., Stanek, J.R., Morales La Madrid, A.E. et al. The Latin American Brain Tumor Board teleconference: results of a web-based survey to evaluate participant experience utilizing this resource. Childs Nerv Syst 35, 257–265 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-018-4000-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-018-4000-x

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