ChatGPT Use Among Pediatric Health Care Providers: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: The public launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT platform generated immediate interest in the use of large language models (LLMs). Health care institutions are now grappling with establishing policies and guidelines for the use of these technologies, yet little is known about how health care providers view LLMs in medical settings. Moreover, there are no studies assessing how pediatric providers are adopting these readily accessible tools. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine how pediatric providers are currently using LLMs in their work as well as their interest in using a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant version of ChatGPT in the future. METHODS: A survey instrument consisting of structured and unstructured questions was iteratively developed by a team of informaticians from various pediatric specialties. The survey was sent via Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) to all Boston Children's Hospital pediatric providers. Participation was voluntary and uncompensated, and all survey responses were anonymous. RESULTS: Surveys were completed by 390 pediatric providers. Approximately 50% (197/390) of respondents had used an LLM; of these, almost 75% (142/197) were already using an LLM for nonclinical work and 27% (52/195) for clinical work. Providers detailed the various ways they are currently using an LLM in their clinical and nonclinical work. Only 29% (n=105) of 362 respondents indicated that ChatGPT should be used for patient care in its present state; however, 73.8% (273/368) reported they would use a HIPAA-compliant version of ChatGPT if one were available. Providers' proposed future uses of LLMs in health care are described. CONCLUSIONS: Despite significant concerns and barriers to LLM use in health care, pediatric providers are already using LLMs at work. This study will give policy makers needed information about how providers are using LLMs clinically.

Healthcare professional perspectives following implementation of an infection management care pathway for pediatric patients with cancer: a qualitative study.

PURPOSE: The Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) supported an effort to implement infection management care pathways based on clinical practice guidelines, to improve the consistency of infection management in pediatric cancer patients. The objective of this qualitative study was to describe the perspective of healthcare professionals (HCPs) following implementation. METHODS: Four tertiary pediatric oncology centers in Ontario, Canada, implemented the pathways. We randomly identified three HCPs per group (clinical pharmacists; nurse case managers, educators or practitioners and physician assistants; pediatric oncology fellows; or pediatric oncology staff physicians) per site and invited them to participate in a qualitative interview. One-on-one interviews were conducted remotely, followed by thematic analysis of interview transcripts. RESULTS: A total of 66 invitations were extended and 42 HCPs participated. Identified themes were: (1) implementation approach, (2) access and navigation, (3) engagement, (4) concerns, (5) workplace benefits, (6) reception, and (7) provincial harmonization. HCPs preferred in-person implementation strategies over e-mail communication. They identified teaching/educational utility and benefits to non-oncology departments and non-tertiary centers participating in shared care of patients. Other positive aspects related to evidence-based practice, safety, supporting oncology HCPs, and benefits to patients and families. Concerns included need to ensure users applied clinical judgement and loss of autonomy. Provincial harmonization of practice was viewed positively, although potential logistical and institutional cultural barriers were raised. CONCLUSIONS: Following infection management care pathway implementation, HCPs described educational utility and benefits to non-oncology departments, oncology HCPs, patients, and families. Our findings may facilitate future infection management care pathway provincial harmonization.

Sustained increase in annual transcranial Doppler screening rates in children with sickle cell disease: A quality improvement project.

INTRODUCTION: Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) at increased risk for stroke should undergo annual stroke risk assessment using transcranial Doppler (TCD) screening between the ages of 2 and 16. Though this screening can significantly reduce morbidity associated with SCD, screening rates at Boston Children's Hospital (and nationwide) remain below the recommended 100% screening adherence rates. METHODS: Three plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles were designed and implemented. The Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound (SMART) aim of our quality improvement (QI) initiative was to sustainably increase the proportion of eligible patients receiving a TCD within 15 months of their last TCD to greater than 95%. An interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was performed, comparing TCD adherence rates from PDSA Cycle 1 to those from PDSA Cycles 2 and 3. RESULTS: Mean TCD adherence increased across all three PDSA cycles, from a baseline of 67% in the first cycle (January 2015 to September 2020) to 92% in the third cycle (May 2021 to March 2023). In the ITS analysis of TCD adherence rates, there was a significant difference in the final TCD adherence rate achieved compared to the rate predicted, with a total estimated increase in adherence of 17.9% being attributable to the interventions from PDSA Cycles 2 and 3. DISCUSSION: Although other QI initiatives had demonstrated ability to increase adherence to TCD screening for patients with SCD, this is the first QI project to collect data over such a prolonged period of time to demonstrate a sustained increase in screening rates throughout the intervention (an 8-year period).

Reducing ambulatory central line-associated bloodstream infections: A family-centered approach.

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) cause significant morbidity and mortality, especially in pediatric oncology. Few studies have had interventions directed toward caregivers managing central lines (CL) at home to reduce ambulatory CLABSI rates. We aimed to reduce and sustain our ambulatory CLABSI rate by 25% within 3 years of the start of a quality improvement intervention. PROCEDURE: Plan-do-study-act cycles were implemented beginning April 2016. The main intervention was a family-centered CL care skill development curriculum for external CLs. Training began upon hospital CL insertion, followed by an ambulatory teach-back program to achieve home caregiver CL care independence. Other changes included: standardizing ambulatory nurse CL care practice (audits, a train the nurse trainer process, and workshops for independent home care agencies); developing aids for trainers and caregivers; providing supplies for clean surfaces; wide dissemination of the program; and minimizing opportunities of CLABSI (e.g., standardizing timing of CL removal). The outcome measure was the ambulatory CLABSI rate (excluding mucosal barrier injury laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection), compared pre intervention (January 2015 to March 2016) to post intervention, including 2 years of sustainability (April 2016 to June 2023), using statistical process control charts. We estimated the total number of CLABSI and associated healthcare charges prevented. RESULTS: The ambulatory CLABSI rate decreased by 52% from 0.25 to 0.12 per 1000 CL days post intervention, achieved within 27 months; 117 CLABSI were prevented, with $4.2 million hospital charges and 702 hospital days avoided. CONCLUSIONS: Focusing efforts on home caregivers CL care may lead to reduction in pediatric oncology ambulatory CLABSI rates.

Mental Disorders Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer: A Canadian Population-Based and Sibling Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: To compare the cumulative incidence of mental disorders among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) diagnosed with cancer with the general population and their unaffected siblings. METHODS: A retrospective, population-based, matched cohort design was used to investigate the impact of cancer diagnosis on mental disorders among individuals age 15-39 diagnosed between 1989 and 2019. Two cancer-free cohorts were identified: matched population-based and sibling cohorts. Outcomes included incidence of mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, suicide outcomes, psychotic disorders, and any of the preceding four categories within 5 years of cancer diagnosis. Competing risk regression was used to estimate adjusted subhazard ratios (aSHR) and 95% CIs. RESULTS: Among 3,818 AYAs with cancer matched to the population-based cancer-free cohort, individuals with cancer were more likely to be diagnosed with incident mental disorders than those without cancer; the risk was highest immediately after a cancer diagnosis and decreased over time with aSHR [95% CI] for mood and anxiety disorders at 0-6 months (11.27 [95% CI, 6.69 to 18.97]), 6-12 months (2.35 [95% CI, 1.54 to 3.58]), and 12-24 months (2.06 [95% CI, 1.55 to 2.75]); for substance use disorders at 0-6 months (2.73 [95% CI, 1.90 to 3.92]); for psychotic disorders at 0-6 months (4.69 [95% CI, 2.07 to 10.65]); and for any mental disorder at 0-6 months (4.46 [95% CI, 3.41 to 5.85]), 6-12 months (1.56 [95% CI, 1.14 to 2.14]), and 12-24 months (1.7 [95% CI, 1.36 to 2.13]) postcancer diagnosis. In sibling comparison, cancer diagnosis was associated with a higher incidence of mood and anxiety and any mental disorder during first 6 months of cancer diagnosis. CONCLUSION: AYAs with cancer experience a greater incidence of mental disorders after cancer diagnosis relative to population-based and sibling cohorts without cancer, primarily within first 2 years, underscoring the need to address mental health concerns during this period.

An Algorithm to Assess Guideline Concordance of Antibiotic Choice in Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and evaluate an algorithm to reduce the chart review burden of improvement efforts by automatically labeling antibiotic selection as either guideline-concordant or -discordant based on electronic health record data for patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). METHODS: We developed a 3-part algorithm using structured and unstructured data to assess adherence to an institutional CAP clinical practice guideline. The algorithm was applied to retrospective data for patients seen with CAP from 2017 to 2019 at a tertiary children's hospital. Performance metrics included positive predictive value (precision), sensitivity (recall), and F1 score (harmonized mean), with macro-weighted averages. Two physician reviewers independently assigned "actual" labels based on manual chart review. RESULTS: Of 1345 patients with CAP, 893 were included in the training cohort and 452 in the validation cohort. Overall, the model correctly labeled 435 of 452 (96%) patients. Of the 286 patients who met guideline inclusion criteria, 193 (68%) were labeled as having received guideline-concordant antibiotics, 48 (17%) were labeled as likely in a scenario in which deviation from the clinical practice guideline was appropriate, and 45 (16%) were given the final label of "possibly discordant, needs review." The sensitivity was 0.96, the positive predictive value was 0.97, and the F1 was 0.96. CONCLUSIONS: An automated algorithm that uses structured and unstructured electronic health record data can accurately assess the guideline concordance of antibiotic selection for CAP. This tool has the potential to improve the efficiency of improvement efforts by reducing the manual chart review needed for quality measurement.

Clinical decision support to enhance venous thromboembolism pharmacoprophylaxis prescribing for pediatric inpatients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To design and evaluate a clinical decision support (CDS) module to improve guideline concordant venous thromboembolism (VTE) pharmacoprophylaxis prescribing for pediatric inpatients with COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The proportion of patients who met our institutional clinical practice guideline's (CPG) criteria for VTE prophylaxis was compared to those who triggered a CDS alert, indicating the patient needed VTE prophylaxis, and to those who were prescribed prophylaxis pre and post the launch of a new VTE CDS module to support VTE pharmacoprophylaxis prescribing. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value, F1-score and accuracy of the tool were calculated for the pre- and post-intervention periods using the CPG recommendation as the gold standard. Accuracy was defined as the sum of the true positives and true negatives over the sum of the true positives, false positives, true negatives, and false negatives. Logistic regression was used to identify variables associated with correct thromboprophylaxis prescribing. RESULTS: A significant increase in the proportion of patients triggering a CDS alert occurred in the post-intervention period (44.3% vs. 6.9%, p < .001); however, no reciprocal increase in VTE prophylaxis prescribing was achieved (36.6% vs. 40.9%, p = .53). The updated CDS module had an improved sensitivity (55.0% vs. 13.3%), NPV (44.9% vs. 36.3%), F1-score (66.7% vs. 23.5%), and accuracy (62.5% vs. 42.0%), but an inferior specificity (78.6% vs. 100%) and PPV (84.6% vs. 100%). DISCUSSION: The updated CDS model had an improved accuracy and overall performance in correctly identifying patients requiring VTE prophylaxis. Despite an increase in correct patient identification by the CDS module, the proportion of patients receiving appropriate pharmacologic prophylaxis did not change. CONCLUSION: CDS tools to support correct VTE prophylaxis prescribing need ongoing refinement and validation to maximize clinical utility.

Increasing COVID-19 Vaccination Rates for Children With Sickle Cell Disease.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 vaccine is important for children with sickle cell disease (SCD). This quality improvement project's objective was to increase the proportion of children with SCD receiving ≥2 COVID-19 vaccine doses to ≥70% by June 2022. METHODS: We used the Model for Improvement framework. We assessed COVID-19 vaccination rates biweekly. Three plan-do-study-act cycles focusing on patient education, provider awareness, and access were performed. Process measures included the outcome of outreach calls and educational video views. Missed clinic appointments was our balancing measure. Line graphs and statistical process control charts were used to track changes. Interrupted time series was used to model implementation rates while accounting for preexisting trends. RESULTS: A total of 243 patients were included. During the preintervention (September 2021-January 2022) and intervention periods (February 2022-June 2022), overall vaccination rates increased from 33% to 41% and 41% to 64%, respectively. Mean vaccination rate in eligible children in each 2-week period increased from 2.1% to 7.2%. The achieved vaccination rate was 11% greater than predicted for patients with SCD. For the general population the achieved vaccination rate was 23% lower than predicted. The proportion of missed visits did not change (9.0% vs. 9.6%). During outreach calls, 10 patients (13.5%) booked a vaccine. Forty percent of patients watched the promotional video. CONCLUSIONS: A significant number of patients with SCD are not vaccinated against COVID-19. Targeting misinformation and improving vaccine access aided in increasing vaccination. Additional interventions are needed as a large number of patients remain unvaccinated.

Clinical Characteristics, Treatment Considerations, and Outcomes of Infants with Rhabdomyosarcoma.

RMS most commonly presents in children and adolescents, however a subset of tumors are diagnosed in infants under one year of age. Due to the rarity of infant RMS, utilization of different treatment approaches and goals, and small sample sizes, the published studies of infants with RMS have yielded heterogeneous results. In this review, we discuss the outcomes of infants with RMS treated in various clinical trials and the strategies that various international cooperative groups have employed to reduce the morbidity and mortality related to treatment without compromising the overall survival of this population. This review discusses the unique scenarios of diagnosing and managing congenitals or neonatal RMS, spindle cell RMS and relapsed RMS. This review concludes by exploring novel approaches to diagnosis and management of infants with RMS that are currently being studied by various international cooperative groups.

Brentuximab vedotin after autologous transplantation in pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma.

Outcomes for children and adolescents with relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) are poor, with ∼50% of patients experiencing a subsequent relapse. The anti-CD30 antibody-drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin improved progression-free survival (PFS) when used as consolidation after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in adults with high-risk relapsed/refractory HL. Data on brentuximab vedotin as consolidative therapy after ASCT in pediatric patients with HL are extremely limited, with data of only 11 patients reported in the literature. We performed a retrospective analysis of 67 pediatric patients who received brentuximab vedotin as consolidation therapy after ASCT for the treatment of relapsed/refractory HL to describe the experience of this regimen in the pediatric population. This is the largest cohort reported to date. We found that brentuximab vedotin was well tolerated with a safety profile similar to that of adult patients. With a median follow-up of 37 months, the 3-year PFS was 85%. These data suggest a potential role for the use of brentuximab vedotin as consolidation therapy after ASCT for children with relapsed/refractory HL.

Improving guideline-concordant thromboprophylaxis prescribing for children admitted to hospital with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of venous thrombo-embolism (VTE) in hospitalized children has increased by 130%-200% over the last two decades. Given this increase, many centers utilize electronic clinical decision support (CDS) to prognosticate VTE risk and recommend prophylaxis. SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) is a risk factor for VTE; however, CDS developed before the COVID-19 pandemic may not accurately prognosticate VTE risk in children with COVID-19. This study's objective was to identify areas to improve thromboprophylaxis recommendations for children with COVID-19. METHODS: Inpatients with a positive COVID-19 test at admission were identified at a quaternary-care pediatric center between March 1, 2020 and January 20, 2022. The results of the institution's automated CDS thromboprophylaxis recommendations were compared to institutional COVID-19 thromboprophylaxis guidelines and to the actual thromboprophylaxis received. CDS optimization was performed to improve adherence to COVID-19 thromboprophylaxis recommendations. RESULTS: Of the 329 patients included in this study, 106 (28.2%) were prescribed pharmaco-prophylaxis, 167 (50.8%) were identified by the institutional COVID-19 guidelines as requiring pharmaco-prophylaxis, and 45 (13.2%) were identified by the CDS as needing pharmaco-prophylaxis. On univariate analysis, only age 12 years or more was associated with recipient of appropriate prophylaxis (OR 1.78, 95% CI: 1.13-2.82, p = .013). Five patients developed VTEs; three had symptoms at presentation, two were identified as high risk for VTE by both the automated and best practice assessments but were not prescribed pharmaco-prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: Automated thromboprophylaxis recommendations developed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic may not identify all COVID-19 patients needing pharmaco-prophylaxis. Existing CDS tools need to be updated to reflect COVID-19-specific risk factors for VTEs.

Experiences of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of AYAs aged 18-49 with cancer in Canada between January and February 2021. Data from survivors, defined as AYAs more than one year off cancer treatment, were analysed. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with psychological distress, loneliness and insomnia. RESULTS: The analysis included 384 survivors. Moderate-to-severe psychological distress was reported by 257 (68.9%) survivors and was associated with an income ≥ $60,000 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.15, 95% CI 1.11-4.17) and the presence of a pre-existing chronic physical health condition (AOR 2.05, 95% CI 1.18-3.56). Loneliness was reported by 204 (54.0%) survivors and was associated with being unemployed (AOR 2.26 95%CI 1.18-4.31), pandemic causing finances to be worse (AOR 1.82, 95%CI 1.08-3.06) and the presence of a pre-pandemic mental health condition (AOR 1.88, 95% CI 1.03-3.42). Clinical insomnia was reported by 74 (19.5%) survivors and was associated with employment status as a student (AOR 3.00, 95% CI 1.08-8.29) or unemployed (AOR 3.97, 95% CI 1.46-10.83), earning $60,000 or more in the year 2020 (AOR 4.36, 95% CI 1.43-13.32), having haematologic cancer (AOR 2.21, 95% CI 1.05-4.70) and being single (AOR 2.52, 95% CI 1.08-5.91). Pandemic negatively affected employment, finances, physical activity, cancer care and substance use for 73.9%, 66.5%, 32.5%, 21.8% and 19.2% of survivors, respectively. Worries about finances, contracting COVID-19, cancer treatment increasing the risk of COVID-19 infection, and having poor health outcomes from contracting COVID-19 were reported by 46.0%, 45.6%, 55.0% and 47.3% of survivors, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on AYA cancer survivors, and these individuals report high levels of psychological distress, insomnia and loneliness. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Cancer survivors are at risk for worsening mental and physical health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Targeted interventions and support programs are urgently needed to support the mental health of AYA cancer survivors and optimize their health outcomes.

Reassessing the Need for Preoperative Transfusions in Sickle Cell Disease Patients With an Elevated Baseline Hemoglobin-A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend a preoperative hemoglobin of 10.0 g/dL in patients with sickle cell disease [SCD], however, this threshold continues to be an area of controversy. Previous studies demonstrating the benefits of preoperative transfusions have largely not captured patients with elevated baseline hemoglobin, in part due to low hydroxyurea uptake and exclusion of nonhemoglobin SS SCD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with SCD <18 years of age undergoing low and medium-risk procedures at 2 academic medical centers in Canada between 2007 and 2017. The primary objective was to study the association of preoperative transfusion on postoperative complications in patients with SCD with baseline hemoglobin between 9.0 and 10.0 g/dL. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted effect of preoperative transfusion on the risk of developing postoperative complications. RESULTS: In all, 159 procedures in patients with hemoglobin <9.0 g/dL [Hb <9.0 ] and 173 procedures in patients with hemoglobin between 9.0 and 10.0 g/dL [Hb 9.0-10.0 ] were analyzed. In the absence of preoperative transfusion, Hb 9.0-10.0 patients had lower overall complications [23% vs. 34%] compared with Hb <9.0 patients [OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.12-0.72, P =0.008]. In total, 75% of Hb <9.0 and 21% of Hb 9.0-10.0 patients received a preoperative simple transfusion. Transfusion was associated with increased risk of postoperative complications in Hb 9.0-10.0 [OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.26-7.23, P =0.013], but not Hb <9.0 patients [OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.28-1.45, P =0.30]. CONCLUSIONS: Simple transfusion may not be warranted in Hb 9.0-10.0 patients undergoing low-risk procedures. Prospective studies validating these findings are needed.

Glucose 6 Phosphate Isomerase Deficiency, a Rare Hemolytic Anemia Misdiagnosed as Hereditary Spherocytosis.

Hereditary hemolytic anemias are a heterogenous group of disorders that include membranopathies, enzymopathies, and hemoglobinopathies. Genetic testing is helpful in the diagnostic workup when the clinical and laboratory workup is not conclusive. Here, we present a case of a 21-month-old female who was initially diagnosed with hereditary spherocytosis based on the presence of a variant of unknown significance in the SPTB gene. Further genetic workup revealed a homozygous glucose 6 phosphate isomerase mutation and the patient was ultimately diagnosed with glucose 6 phosphate isomerase deficiency.

Pediatric Emergency Department Sepsis Screening Tool Accuracy During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Automated sepsis alerts in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) can identify patients at risk for sepsis, allowing for earlier intervention with appropriate therapies. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the performance of pediatric sepsis alerts is unknown. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 59 335 ED visits before the pandemic and 51 990 ED visits during the pandemic in an ED with an automated sepsis alert based on systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value of the sepsis algorithm were compared between the prepandemic and pandemic phases and between COVID-19-negative and COVID-19-positive patients during the pandemic phase. RESULTS: The proportion of ED visits triggering a sepsis alert was 7.0% (n = 4180) before and 6.1% (n = 3199) during the pandemic. The number of sepsis alerts triggered per diagnosed case of hypotensive septic shock was 24 in both periods. There was no difference in the sensitivity (74.1% vs 72.5%), specificity (93.2% vs 94.0%), positive predictive value (4.1% vs 4.1%), or negative predictive value (99.9% vs 99.9%) of the sepsis alerts between these periods. The alerts had a lower sensitivity (60% vs 73.3%) and specificity (87.3% vs 94.2%) for COVID-19-positive versus COVID-19-negative patients. CONCLUSIONS: The sepsis alert algorithm evaluated in this study did not result in excess notifications and maintained adequate performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in the pediatric ED setting.

How I approach: The workup and management of patients with progressive transformation of the germinal center.

Progressive transformation of the germinal center (PTGC) is a common and underrecognized cause of pediatric lymphadenopathy. PTGC may be associated with numerous systemic medical conditions that require further workup and management, including malignancy, autoimmune conditions, lymphoproliferative conditions, immunodeficiency, and infection. Given the breadth and rarity of the associated conditions, workup should be tailored to the individual patient and occur in a tiered approach. Patients with PTGC require ongoing follow-up, given their long-term risk of malignancy and recurrent PTGC.

Gender differences in adherence to COVID-19 preventative measures and preferred sources of COVID-19 information among adolescents and young adults with cancer.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly altered the behavior of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer. No data exists on how gender influences the adherence of individuals with cancer to COVID-19 related public health guidelines and their preferred methods of receiving COVID-19 related information. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adolescents and young adults with cancer. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess differences in adherence to COVID-19 preventative behaviors, and differences in preferred information sources of COVID-19 related information between men and women. RESULTS: Among 633 participants, adherence to key COVID-19 preventative measures was 44.9-58.8% for males and 53.4-68.1% for females. After adjusting for key confounding variables in multivariable analysis, males were less likely to adhere to frequent hand washing (AOR [adjusted odds ratio] 1.45, 95% CI [confidence interval] 1.03-2.03), not touching face (AOR 1.82, 95% CI 1.29-2.56) and social distancing (AOR 1.93, 95% CI 1.37-2.71) than females. Both genders preferred to receive information from their cancer institutes and social media. DISCUSSION: Gender-specific interventions are needed to improve the adherence of males to COVID-19 precautionary measures. Information should be disseminated via cancer institutes and social media as these are the preferred sources of COVID-19 related information among AYAs with cancer.