Teleconsultation use and satisfaction among cancerologists during the COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco.

Introduction: health care benefits have undergone major changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has led to an explosive growth in teleconsultation services mainly for cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the perception and experience of Moroccan oncologists with the use of teleconsultation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: a 17-question anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted on Google forms and emailed to all Moroccan oncologists. Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical software Jamovi (version 2.2). Results: out of a total of 500 oncologists who received the questionnaire, 126 responded, with a response rate of 25%. During the pandemic, only 59.5% of oncologists used teleconsultation, with no significant differences among the three groups (radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and cancer surgeons (p=0.294)). Most participants were satisfied with being able to explain medical diagnosis, provide assessment results, and provide treatment recommendations during teleconsultation. Finally, 47.2% of participants were willing to continue conducting teleconsultations after the COVID-19 pandemic, with no significant differences among the three groups. Conclusion: oncology physicians were satisfied with their experiences with teleconsultation and agreed that it is likely to be part of their long-term practice. Future studies are needed to assess patient satisfaction with teleconsultation and to improve patient care through this virtual technology.

Radiation doses during computed tomography scan imaging in Hassan II Hospital, Agadir, Morocco.

Introduction: the aim of this study was to establish local Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs) for four adult Computed Tomography (CT) examinations in the radiology department, Hassan II hospital of Agadir. Methods: during this survey, we have examined the data of 200 patients at an average of 50 per localization. A General Electric 16 CT with automatic exposure control system was used to perform all CT examinations. Scanner acquisition parameters, number of series, contrast medium use, rotation time plus slice thickness, the displayed Computed Tomography Dose Index (CTDIvol), and the Dose Length Product (DLP) were among the data collected for each diagnostic exam chosen. To evaluate the DRL and effective dose, the conversion factor and formalism of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) were utilized. Results: the average effective dose (Eeff), the displayed CT dose index (CTDIvol), dose length product (DLP) were (7.28±2.35) mSv, (10.80±3.80) mGy and (428.35±138.26) mGy.cm respectively at chest CT. For abdomen-pelvis CT scan, there were (12.48±5.58) mSv, (9.30±2.99) mGy and (805.43±359.98) mGy. Those at chest abdomen-pelvic CT scan were (11.72±3.98) mSv, (10.82±2.53) mGy and (755.97±251.52) mGy.cm respectively. For lumbar CT, there were (12.12±2.32) mSv, (26.46±5.24) mGy and (787.00±149.37) mGy.cm respectively. Conclusion: the findings of this study shows that our values are slightly higher than those of developed countries. This first-ever CT practice evaluation at Agadir's Hassan II Hospital reinforced the need for further radiology training for computed tomography practitioners on parameters influencing image quality, dose, and protocols improvement.

Size-Specific Dose Estimates for Thoracic and Abdominal Computed Tomography Examinations at Two Moroccan Hospitals.

Size-specific dose estimates (SSDE) are the latest topic of interest in patient radiation-dose studies in computed tomography (CT). The aim of this study is to calculate and evaluate the doses (SSDE) by measuring the effective diameter (ED) of cross-sectional images collected during CT examinations of the chest and abdomen in Moroccan hospitals. Doses (SSDE) were calculated based on cross-sectional images by measuring the effective diameters of 75 patients in both examinations (45 for the thorax and 30 for the abdomen). Specific conversion factors for (ED) were used to convert the registered CTDIvol to SSDE, according to the instruction in the American Association of Physicists (AAPM) Report 204. In thoracic CT, the CTDIvol and SSDE values ranged from 5.8 to 10.7 mGy (mean: 8.08) and 9.55 to 15.37 mGy (mean: 12.13), respectively. For abdominal CT, CTDIvol and SSDE values ranged from 4.8 to 12.2 mGy (mean: 7.95) and 8.01 to 14.15 mGy (mean: 11.31), respectively. The results show that the SSDE is a useful tool and could potentially educate CT operators on its effective use as a way to optimize radiation dose instead of CTDIvol, in particular to establish diagnostic reference levels.