Cost Savings Associated With Palliative Care Among Older Adults With Advanced Cancer

2021 ◽  
pp. 104990912098680
Author(s):  
Paige E. Sheridan ◽  
Wendi G. LeBrett ◽  
Daniel P. Triplett ◽  
Eric J. Roeland ◽  
Andrew R. Bruggeman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
Healthcare Costs ◽  
Healthcare Expenditure ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients ◽  
Palliative Care Consultation ◽  
Care Consultation ◽  
The Impact

Background: There is inconsistent evidence that palliative care intervention decreases total healthcare expenditure at end-of-life for oncology patients. This inconsistent evidence may result from small sample sizes at single institution studies and disparate characterization of costs across studies. Comprehensive studies in population-based datasets are needed to fully understand the impact of palliative care on total healthcare costs. This study analyzed the impact of palliative care on total healthcare costs in a nationally representative sample of advanced cancer patients. Methods: We conducted a matched cohort study among Medicare patients with metastatic lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancers. We matched patients who received a palliative care consultation to similar patients who did not receive a palliative care consultation on factors related to both the receipt of palliative care and end of life costs. We compared direct costs between matched patients to determine the per-patient economic impact of a palliative care consultation. Results: Patients who received a palliative care consultation experienced an average per patient cost of $5,834 compared to $7,784 for usual care patients (25% decrease; p < 0.0001). Palliative care consultation within 7 days of death decreased healthcare costs by $451, while palliative care consultation more than 4 weeks from death decreased costs by $4,643. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that palliative care has the capacity to substantially reduce healthcare expenditure among advanced cancer patients. Earlier palliative care consultation results in greater cost reductions than consultation in the last week of life.

scholarly journals Economic impact of palliative care among elderly cancer patients.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (31_suppl) ◽  
pp. 91-91
Author(s):  
Wendi G. Lebrett ◽  
Eric Roeland ◽  
Andrew Bruggeman ◽  
Heidi Yeung ◽  
James Don Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
Healthcare Costs ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients ◽  
Care Intervention ◽  
Palliative Care Consultation ◽  
Care Consultation ◽  
The Impact

91 Background: Randomized trials among advanced cancer patients demonstrate that early palliative care integration into usual oncology care reduces symptom burden, improves quality of life and caregiver outcomes, and may improve survival. The impact of palliative care on health economics remains poorly defined and reported cost savings are an unintentional consequence of providing care aligned with patient goals. This study determined the impact of palliative care on healthcare costs among elderly patients with advanced cancer. Methods: We conducted a matched case-control study among Medicare beneficiaries with metastatic lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancers. We matched patients who received a palliative care consultation to similar patients who did not receive a palliative care consultation. To determine the economic impact of a palliative care consultation we compared costs between cases and controls before and after the palliative care intervention. Costs included inpatient, outpatient, home health care, hospice, and medical equipment, and were adjusted to 2011 dollars. Results: Among the 2,576 patients in this study the total healthcare costs per patient in the 30 days before palliative care consultation was balanced between palliative care ($12,881) and non-palliative care control patients ($12,335). Palliative care intervention reduced total healthcare costs after the intervention. The total cost of care per patient in the 120 days after palliative care exposure was $6,880 compared to $9,604 for controls (28% decrease; p < 0.001). The economic effect of palliative care depended on timing of the consult. Palliative care consultation within 7 days of death decreased healthcare costs by $975, whereas palliative care consultation more than 4 weeks from death decreased costs by $5,362. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that palliative care has the capacity to substantially reduce healthcare expenditures among advanced cancer patients. Furthermore, the cost reduction depends on timing of the palliative care consult.

Questions prompt lists used by palliative care teams help trigger discussions on prognosis and end-of-life issues with advanced cancer patients.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 12110-12110
Author(s):  
Carole Bouleuc ◽  
Alexis Burnod ◽  
Paul H. Cottu ◽  
Jean-Yves Pierga ◽  
Sylvie Dolbeault
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
P Value ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients ◽  
Palliative Care Consultation ◽  
Palliative Care Teams ◽  
Life Issues ◽  
End Of Life Issues

12110 Background: Accuracy of prognosis perception is a key element to allow advanced cancer patients to make informed decisions and to reflect on their end-of-life priorities. This study aims to explore whether a question prompt list can promote discussions on prognosis and end-of-life issues during palliative care consultations for advanced cancer patients. Methods: In this multicentric randomised study, patients assigned in the interventional arm receive a question prompt list during the first palliative care consultation (T1) after referral by oncologists. The primary endpoint is the number of questions asked by patients during the second palliative care consultation (T2) one month later. Secondary objectives are anxiety and depression, quality-of-life, satisfaction with care, coping assessed at baseline (T1) and at two months (T3). Palliative care teams from 3 french comprehensive cancer centers participate in the study. Main inclusion criteria were adult patients with metastatic non-haematological cancer referred to the palliative care team and with an estimated life expectancy less than one year. Results: Patients (n = 71) in the QPL arm asked more questions (mean 21.8 versus 18.2, p-value = 0.03) during the palliative care consultations compared to patients in the control arm (n = 71). These questions addressed palliative care (mean 5.6 versus 3.7, p-value = 0.012) and end-of-life issues (mean 2.2 versus 1, p = 0.018) more frequently than in the control arm. At two months, compared to baseline, there was no change in anxio-depressive symptoms or quality of life. Conclusions: QPL favours discussion on prognosis and end-of-life care during the palliative care consultations for advanced cancer patients. Clinical trial information: NCT02854293 .

scholarly journals Shifting Palliative Care Paradigm in Primary Care From Better Death to Better End-of-Life : A Swiss Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Sommer ◽  
Christopher Chung ◽  
Dagmar M. Haller ◽  
Sophie Pautex
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients

Abstract Background: Patients suffering from advanced cancer often loose contact with their primary care physician (PCP) during oncologic treatment and palliative care is introduced very late.The aim of this pilot study was to test the feasibility and procedures for a randomized trial of an intervention to teach PCPs a palliative care approach and communication skills to improve advanced cancer patients’ quality of life. Methods: Observational pilot study in 5 steps. 1) Recruitment of PCPs. 2) Intervention: training on palliative care competencies and communication skills addressing end-of-life issues.3) Recruitment of advanced cancer patients by PCPs. 4) Patients follow-up by PCPs, and assessment of their quality of life by a research assistant 5) Feedback from PCPs using a semi-structured focus group and three individual interviews with qualitative deductive theme analysis.Results: 8 PCPs were trained. PCPs failed to recruit patients for fear of imposing additional loads on their patients. PCPs changed their approach of advanced cancer patients. They became more conscious of their role and responsibility during oncologic treatments and felt empowered to take a more active role picking up patient’s cues and addressing advance directives. They developed interprofessional collaborations for advance care planning. Overall, they discovered the role to help patients to make decisions for a better end-of-life.Conclusions: PCPs failed to recruit advanced cancer patients, but reported a change in paradigm about palliative care. They moved from a focus on helping patients to die better, to a new role helping patients to define the conditions for a better end-of-life.Trial registration : The ethics committee of the canton of Geneva approved the study (2018-00077 Pilot Study) in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki

An early palliative care intervention can be confronting but reassuring: A qualitative study on the experiences of patients with advanced cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 783-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Fliedner ◽  
Sofia Zambrano ◽  
Jos MGA Schols ◽  
Marie Bakitas ◽  
Christa Lohrmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients ◽  
End Of Life Decisions ◽  
Early Palliative Care ◽  
Network Support ◽  
Care Intervention ◽  
Life Decisions

Background: Intervention trials confirm that patients with advanced cancer receiving early palliative care experience a better quality of life and show improved knowledge about and use of palliative care services. To involve patients in future health-care decisions, health professionals should understand patients’ perspectives. However, little is known about how patients’ experience such interventions. Aim: To explore advanced cancer patients’ experiences with a structured early palliative care intervention, its acceptability and impact on the patients’ life including influencing factors. Design: Qualitative content analysis of in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Setting/participants: Patients with various advanced cancer diagnoses were enrolled in a multicenter randomized controlled trial (NCT01983956), which investigated the impact of “Symptoms, End-of-life decisions, Network, Support,” a structured early palliative care intervention, on distress. Of these, 20 patients who underwent the intervention participated in this study. Results: Participants received the intervention well and gained a better understanding of their personal situation. Patients reported that the intervention can feel “confronting” but with the right timing it can be confirming and facilitate family conversations. Patients’ personal background and the intervention timing within their personal disease trajectory influenced their emotional and cognitive experiences; it also impacted their understanding of palliative care and triggered actions toward future care planning. Conclusion: Early palliative care interventions like “Symptoms, End-of-life decisions, Network, Support” may provoke emotions and feel “confrontational” often because this is the first time when issues about one’s end of life are openly discussed; yet, advanced cancer patients found it beneficial and felt it should be incorporated into routine care.

scholarly journals Effect of Palliative Care on Aggressiveness of End-of-Life Care Among Patients With Advanced Cancer

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. e760-e769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. Triplett ◽  
Wendi G. LeBrett ◽  
Alex K. Bryant ◽  
Andrew R. Bruggeman ◽  
Rayna K. Matsuno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
Health Care Use ◽  
Medicare Beneficiaries ◽  
Invasive Procedures ◽  
Chemotherapy Administration ◽  
Palliative Care Consultation ◽  
Care Consultation

Purpose: Palliative care’s role in oncology has expanded, but its effect on aggressiveness of care at the end of life has not been characterized at the population level. Methods: This matched retrospective cohort study examined the effect of an encounter with palliative care on health-care use at the end of life among 6,580 Medicare beneficiaries with advanced prostate, breast, lung, or colorectal cancer. We compared health-care use before and after palliative care consultation to a matched nonpalliative care cohort. Results: The palliative care cohort had higher rates of health-care use in the 30 days before palliative care consultation compared with the nonpalliative cohort, with higher rates of hospitalization (risk ratio [RR], 3.33; 95% CI, 2.87 to 3.85), invasive procedures (RR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.62 to 1.88), and chemotherapy administration (RR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.45 to 1.78). The opposite pattern emerged in the interval from palliative care consultation through death, where the palliative care cohort had lower rates of hospitalization (RR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.44-0.65), invasive procedures (RR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.59), and chemotherapy administration (RR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.53). Patients with earlier palliative care consultation in their disease course had larger absolute reductions in health-care use compared with those with palliative care consultation closer to the end of life. Conclusion: This population-based study found that palliative care substantially decreased health-care use among Medicare beneficiaries with advanced cancer. Given the increasing number of elderly patients with advanced cancer, this study emphasizes the importance of early integration of palliative care alongside standard oncologic care.

Association of Palliative Care Consultation With Reducing Inpatient Chemotherapy Use in Elderly Patients With Cancer in Japan: Analysis Using a Nationwide Administrative Database

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 685-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Motoko Sano ◽  
Kiyohide Fushimi
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Elderly Patients ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Geriatric Oncology ◽  
National Database ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Palliative Care Consultation ◽  
Care Consultation ◽  
The Impact

Background: The administration of chemotherapy at the end of life is considered an aggressive life-prolonging treatment. The use of unnecessarily aggressive therapy in elderly patients at the end of life is an important health-care concern. Objective: To explore the impact of palliative care consultation (PCC) on chemotherapy use in geriatric oncology inpatients in Japan by analyzing data from a national database. Methods: We conducted a multicenter cohort study of patients aged ≥65 years, registered in the Japan National Administrative Healthcare Database, who died with advanced (stage ≥3) lung, stomach, colorectal, liver, or breast cancer while hospitalized between April 2010 and March 2013. The relationship between PCC and chemotherapy use in the last 2 weeks of life was analyzed using χ2 and logistic regression analyses. Results: We included 26 012 patients in this analysis. The mean age was 75.74 ± 6.40 years, 68.1% were men, 81.8% had recurrent cancer, 29.5% had lung cancer, and 29.5% had stomach cancer. Of these, 3134 (12%) received PCC. Among individuals who received PCC, chemotherapy was administered to 46 patients (1.5%) and was not administered to 3088 patients (98.5%). Among those not receiving PCC, chemotherapy was administered to 909 patients (4%) and was not administered to the remaining 21 978 patients (96%; odds ratio [OR], 0.35; 95% confidence interval, 0.26-0.48). The OR of chemotherapy use was higher in men, young–old, and patients with primary cancer. Conclusion: Palliative care consultation was associated with less chemotherapy use in elderly Japanese patients with cancer who died in the hospital setting.

Evaluating the impact of early versus late inpatient palliative care consultation for cancer patients.

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6638-6638
Author(s):  
Brian Cassel ◽  
Patrick J. Coyne ◽  
Nevena Skoro ◽  
Kathleen Kerr ◽  
Egidio Del Fabbro
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Palliative Care Team ◽  
Care Team ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Palliative Care Consultation ◽  
Social Security Death Index ◽  
Hospital Deaths ◽  
Care Consultation ◽  
The Impact

6638 Background: Access to specialist palliative care (hospital-based or hospice) is a recognized measure of quality in cancer care. Most cancer centers do have palliative care consult services, although the availability of a comprehensive program that includes a palliative care unit and outpatient clinic (Hui 2010) is inconsistent. A simultaneous integrated model of palliative care that facilitates earlier access to a specialized palliative care team may improve clinical outcomes. Palliative care programs should measure the access, timing and impact of their clinical service. Methods: Hospital claims data were linked to Social Security Death Index (SSDI) data from the US Department of Commerce. 3,128 adult cancer patients died between January 2009 and July 2011 and had contact with our inpatient palliative care team in their last six months of life. We determined whether IPC earlier than 1 month prior to death had an impact on hospitalizations, in-hospital mortality and referral to hospice. Results: 27.5% of cancer decedents accessed IPC, median of 22 days before death. 13.2% were discharged to hospice, median of 13 days before death. Patients with IPC earlier than 1 month until death were more likely to have hospice and fewer in-hospital deaths but there was no association between early IPC and a 30-day mortality admission. Conclusions: Palliative care services are accessed by a minority of patients and typically in the last 2-3 weeks of life. Although in-hospital deaths were reduced by earlier palliative care consultation, 30 day mortality did not improve. Hospitals may need to implement other strategies including early integration of outpatient palliative care among cancer patients, to achieve an impact on 30-day mortality admissions. [Table: see text]

Coping with uncertainty: A qualitative study of 33 palliative care consultations among patients with advanced cancer.

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (31_suppl) ◽  
pp. 92-92
Author(s):  
Mohamedtaki Abdulaziz Tejani ◽  
Charles Stewart Kamen ◽  
Supriya Gupta Mohile ◽  
Robert E. Gramling
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Advanced Cancer Patients ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
The Future ◽  
Research Working Group

92 Background: Despite scientific advances, uncertainty remains an inherent and significant issue in clinical practice. Among patients with advanced cancer, uncertainty about the future can lead to distress, loss of sense of control and lower quality of life. Helping patients manage uncertainty is a core domain of patient-centered care. Little is known about how palliative care providers work with cancer patients to accomplish this goal. Methods: We performed descriptive analysis of transcripts from audio recorded inpatient palliative care consultations among adult cancer patients referred for ‘goals of care’ or ‘end of life decision making.’ Each transcript was read as a whole and then again line by line to code verbal expressions of uncertainty. Excerpted segments dealing with uncertainty about the future were grouped and analyzed by an experienced qualitative research working group. Results: 33 consultations were analyzed: 53% men, median age 62 and median survival 3.6 weeks. Multiple expressions of uncertainty were identified – 106 by patients/families and 56 by providers. A majority (63%) were centered on the inevitable uncertainty in predicting clinical course at the end of life. Palliative care providers managed this type of uncertainty in three main ways: (a) pairing expressions of unpredictability with reiteration of what was certain/known at time of consultation (e.g. ‘we will not let you suffer’); (b) utilizing inherent uncertainty of future to promote hope and faith (e.g. ‘nobody knows how long you are going to live’) and (c) reassurance that multi-disciplinary providers would convene to provide consensus and clarity for next visit (e.g. ‘we will all put our heads together and come up with exactly which options are available.’). Conclusions: Uncertainty is highly prevalent during end of life consultations with advanced cancer patients. Palliative care providers use validating strategies to help patients acknowledge and cope with what is inherently uncertain about their future. These methods can be used to develop communication training and guidelines for use with advanced cancer patients at the end of life.

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