Barriers to Equitable Palliative Care Utilization Among Patients with Cancer

Author(s):  
Gabriel D. Ivey ◽  
Fabian M. Johnston
2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e21681-e21681
Author(s):  
Collin Thomas Zimmerman ◽  
Shivani S. Shinde ◽  
Pashtoon Murtaza Kasi ◽  
Mark Robert Litzow ◽  
Jeanne M. Huddleston

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minenhle S. Dlamini ◽  
Khumbulani W. Hlongwana ◽  
Siyabonga B. Dlamini ◽  
Themba G. Ginindza

Abstract Background: Cancer remains a public health challenge in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). Over 30% of those in need of palliative care (PC) worldwide suffer from cancer and 80% of patients with cancer in LMICs are diagnosed at advanced stages, by which time they can only benefit from PC services. The aim of this study was to determine factors influencing PC utilization among patients with cancer in KZN.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was used among patients who had been diagnosed with different cancers and attending Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IALCH), Addington Hospital, Pietermaritzburg Grey’s hospital, Msunduzi and Chatsworth Hospices. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select participants. Structured questionnaires were administered to a total of 394 patients. The questionnaire included two open-ended questions and the generated data was analysed and presented into two formats; firstly, the textual data was entered into REDcap (v.8.11.7) and then exported to IBM SPSS Statistics (v.25) and recoded for emerging themes which were later presented in a graph format. Secondly, the thematic analysis was presented in textual format and supported with verbatims quotes. Results: The mean (+SD) age of the 394 participants was 51.89 (+14.67) years and about 22.9% were within the age-group 41–50 years. Majority of participants were females (77.7%) and were unmarried (60.6%). Most of the participants’ racial classification was black (81.5%) and 64.5% had primary education. More than four-fifths (82.7%) were unemployed, 55.8% lived in urban areas and 24.6% had cervical cancer. The analysis of the two open-ended questions incorporated into the questionnaire revealed five themes as major barriers preventing cancer patients from seeking PC services.Conclusion: Lack of knowledge and awareness about cancer symptoms and PC services could be addressed by better education of the public. Hence, utilization of PC could be maximized, thereby providing a better quality of life for the sufferers and their families until the end of life’s journey. The study also provides information that can be used to strengthen and/or to develop PC guidelines addressing PC issues. Keywords: Cancer, Palliative care, barriers, utilization, KwaZulu-Natal


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (27_suppl) ◽  
pp. 88-88
Author(s):  
Liana Yocavitch ◽  
Gregory D. Garber ◽  
Alison Petok ◽  
Brooke Worster ◽  
Nathan Handley

88 Background: Patients with cancer who engage early with palliative care may experience improved quality of life (QOL), increased overall survival (OS), and decreased acute care utilization. The Neu Center for Supportive Medicine and Cancer Survivorship (NCSMC) at Thomas Jefferson University is a program designed to identify patients who would benefit from early intervention palliative and supportive care and deliver appropriate services. After initial experience with the model in patients with gastrointestinal and head and neck malignancies, the NCSMC is expanding to patients with genitourinary cancers. Methods: A multidisciplinary team consisting of palliative care physicians, social work, psychology, and navigation conducts biopsychosocial screening (using the NCCN Distress Thermometer) and initiates a personalized care plan for each patient to clarify treatment goals and offer assistance. Prior to deploying the program, multiple stakeholders were engaged to discuss optimal screening points in the patient journey. Patients with a new cancer diagnosis are approached at a post-operative visit in the urology clinic; patients with high distress or significant barriers are discussed at a weekly interdisciplinary meeting with a team of physicians, nurses, social workers, and psychiatry. Patients are subsequently referred to services identified as potentially beneficial. Results: In the first 10 weeks of the program, 67 patients with new diagnoses of bladder (28, 41.8%), prostate (21, 31.3%), kidney (12, 17.9%), urothelial (5, 7.5%), and testicular (1, 1.5%) cancers were screened. 38 (59.4%) patients were identified as low distress; 24 patients (36%) were identified as high distress and offered NCSMC services. Two patients utilized services. Conclusions: Distress and barriers to care amongst patients with newly diagnosed genitourinary cancers are highly variable. While evaluating all patients in the immediate post-operative period is effective at identifying affected patients, the process is resource intensive. An iterative approach testing the intervention at different points in the patient journey is ongoing. As the program matures, impact on QOL, OS, and utilization will be measured.


Author(s):  
Jyotsana Parajuli ◽  
Judith E. Hupcey

The number of people with cancer and the need for palliative care among this population is increasing in the United States. Despite this growing need, several barriers exist to the utilization of palliative care in oncology. The purpose of this study was to synthesize the evidence on the barriers to palliative care utilization in an oncology population. A systematic review of literature was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, CINAHL, and Psych Info databases were used for the literature search. Articles were included if they: 1) focused on cancer, (2) examined and discussed barriers to palliative care, and c) were peer reviewed, published in English, and had an accessible full text. A total of 29 studies (8 quantitative, 18 qualitative, and 3 mixed-methods) were identified and synthesized for this review. The sample size of the included studies ranged from 10 participants to 313 participants. The barriers to palliative care were categorized into barriers related to the patient and family, b) barriers related to providers, and c) barriers related to the healthcare system or policy. The factors identified in this review provide guidance for intervention development to mitigate the existing barriers and facilitate the use palliative care in individuals with cancer.


Author(s):  
Emily E. Gaster ◽  
Christie A. Riemer ◽  
Jenna L. Aird ◽  
Brian J. King ◽  
Rokea A. el‐Azhary ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Jessica Y. Islam ◽  
Veeral Saraiya ◽  
Rebecca A. Previs ◽  
Tomi Akinyemiju

Palliative care improves quality-of-life and extends survival, however, is underutilized among gynecological cancer patients in the United States (U.S.). Our objective was to evaluate associations between healthcare access (HCA) measures and palliative care utilization among U.S. gynecological cancer patients overall and by race/ethnicity. We used 2004–2016 data from the U.S. National Cancer Database and included patients with metastatic (stage III–IV at-diagnosis) ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancer (n = 176,899). Palliative care was defined as non-curative treatment and could include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and pain management, or any combination. HCA measures included insurance type, area-level socioeconomic measures, distance-to-care, and cancer treatment facility type. We evaluated associations of HCA measures with palliative care use overall and by race/ethnicity using multivariable logistic regression. Our population was mostly non-Hispanic White (72%), had ovarian cancer (72%), and 24% survived <6 months. Five percent of metastatic gynecological cancer patients utilized palliative care. Compared to those with private insurance, uninsured patients with ovarian (aOR: 1.80,95% CI: 1.53–2.12), and cervical (aOR: 1.45,95% CI: 1.26–1.67) cancer were more likely to use palliative care. Patients with ovarian (aOR: 0.58,95% CI: 0.48–0.70) or cervical cancer (aOR: 0.74,95% CI: 0.60–0.88) who reside >45 miles from their provider were less likely to utilize palliative care than those within <2 miles. Ovarian cancer patients treated at academic/research programs were less likely to utilize palliative care compared to those treated at community cancer programs (aOR: 0.70, 95%CI: 0.58–0.84). Associations between HCA measures and palliative care utilization were largely consistent across U.S. racial-ethnic groups. Insurance type, cancer treatment facility type, and distance-to-care may influence palliative care use among metastatic gynecological cancer patients in the U.S.


Author(s):  
Nanako Koyama ◽  
Chikako Matsumura ◽  
Yuuna Tahara ◽  
Morito Sako ◽  
Hideo Kurosawa ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose The aims of the present study were to investigate the symptom clusters in terminally ill patients with cancer using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative Care (EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL), and to examine whether these symptom clusters influenced prognosis. Methods We analyzed data from 130 cancer patients hospitalized in the palliative care unit from June 2018 to December 2019 in an observational study. Principal component analysis was used to detect symptom clusters using the scored date of 14 items in the QLQ-C15-PAL, except for overall QOL, at the time of hospitalization. The influence of the existence of these symptom clusters and Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) on survival was analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, and survival curves were compared between the groups with or without existing corresponding symptom clusters using the log-rank test. Results The following symptom clusters were identified: cluster 1 (pain, insomnia, emotional functioning), cluster 2 (dyspnea, appetite loss, fatigue, and nausea), and cluster 3 (physical functioning). Cronbach’s alpha values for the symptom clusters ranged from 0.72 to 0.82. An increased risk of death was significantly associated with the existence of cluster 2 and poor PPS (log-rank test, p = 0.016 and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion In terminally ill patients with cancer, three symptom clusters were detected based on QLQ-C15-PAL scores. Poor PPS and the presence of symptom cluster that includes dyspnea, appetite loss, fatigue, and nausea indicated poor prognosis.


Author(s):  
Aye Tinzar Myint ◽  
Sariyamon Tiraphat ◽  
Isareethika Jayasvasti ◽  
Seo Ah Hong ◽  
Vijj Kasemsup

Palliative care is an effective, multidisciplinary healthcare service to alleviate severe illness patients from physical, psychological, and spiritual pain. However, global palliative care has been underutilized, especially in developing countries. This cross-sectional survey aimed to examine the factors associated with older cancer patients’ willingness to utilize palliative care services in Myanmar. The final sample was composed of 141 older adults, 50-years of age and above who suffered from cancers at any stage. Simple random sampling was applied to choose the participants by purposively selecting three oncology clinics with daycare chemotherapy centers in Mandalay. We collected data using structured questionnaires composed of five sections. The sections include the participant’s socio-economic information, disease status, knowledge of palliative care, psychosocial and spiritual need, practical need, and willingness to utilize palliative care services. The study found that approximately 85% of older cancer patients are willing to receive palliative care services. The significant predictors of willingness to utilize palliative care services include place of living, better palliative care knowledge, more need for spiritual and psychosocial support, and practical support. This study can guide health policymakers in increasing the rate of palliative care utilization. The suggested policies include developing community-level palliative care services in Myanmar, especially in rural areas, promoting palliative care knowledge, applying appropriate religious and spiritual traditions at palliative treatment, and developing suitable medicines for the critically ill.


2021 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002638
Author(s):  
Juan Yang ◽  
Dietlind L Wahner-Roedler ◽  
Xuan Zhou ◽  
Lesley A Johnson ◽  
Alex Do ◽  
...  

BackgroundPain is one of the most common and problematic symptoms encountered by patients with cancer. Due to the multifactorial aetiology, pain management of these patients frequently requires multidisciplinary interventions including conventional support and specialty palliative care. Acupuncture has been identified as a possible adjunctive therapy for symptom management in cancer pain, and there is currently no systematic review focused solely on the evidence of acupuncture on cancer pain in palliative care.ObjectiveTo critically analyse currently available publications regarding the use of acupuncture for pain management among patients with cancer in palliative care settings.MethodsMultiple academic databases were searched from inception to 29 October 2020. Randomised controlled trials involving acupuncture in palliative care for treatment of cancer-related pain were synthesised. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers, and methodological quality of each included study was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (OCEBM) 2011 Levels of Evidence.ResultsFive studies (n=189) were included in this systematic review. Results indicated a favourable effect of acupuncture on pain relief in palliative care for patients with cancer. According to OCEBM 2011 Levels of Evidence, they were level 2 in one case (20%), level 3 in two cases (40%) and level 4 in the remaining (40%). Low-level evidence adversely affects the reliability of findings.ConclusionsAcupuncture may be an effective and safe treatment associated with pain reduction in the palliative care of patients with cancer. Further high-quality, adequately powered studies are needed in the future.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document