Treatment patterns, mortality, and health care utilization and costs in indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients with relapsed or refractory disease.

134 Background: Communication about care preferences is vital for care of cancer patients with advanced and refractory disease, particularly when they become ill enough to be at risk for critical care interventions potentially inconsistent with their preferences. It is vital to describe the use of goals of care discussions in patients with advanced/refractory cancer at risk for critical care and evaluate associations between these discussions and outcomes. Methods: Cohort study describing patient/families’ perceptions of goals of care meetings and comparing health care utilization outcomes of patients who did and who did not have discussions. Inpatient units of an academic cancer center included patients who had metastatic solid tumors or relapsed/refractory lymphoma or leukemia and were at risk for critical care (defined as requiring supplemental oxygen and/or a cardiac monitor). Results: Of 86 patients enrolled, 34 (39%) had a reported goals of care discussion. Patients/families reported their needs and goals were addressed moderately to quite a bit during the meetings. Patients with reported discussions were less likely to receive critical care (0% vs 22%, p=0.003) and more likely to be discharged to hospice (48% vs 30%, p=0.04). Only one patient with a goals of care discussion died during the index hospitalization (on comfort care) (3%) compared with 9% among those without discussions (p=0.08). Conclusions: Goals of care meetings should be incorporated into usual care for cancer patients with advanced or refractory disease at risk for critical care during a hospitalization, in order to improve concordance between care received and patient and family preferences. Goals of care meetings for advanced/refractory cancer inpatients at risk for critical care can address patient and family goals and needs and improve health care utilization outcomes. These meetings should be part of routine care in this patient population.

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Treatment Patterns, Health Care Utilization, and Costs of Ovarian Cancer in Central and Eastern Europe Using a Delphi Panel Based on a Retrospective Chart Review

International Journal of Gynecological Cancer ◽

10.1097/igc.0b013e318291e8ca ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 23 (5) ◽

pp. 823-832 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Kun Kim ◽

Emma Hernlund ◽

Zoltán Hernadi ◽

János Révész ◽

Imre Pete ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ovarian Cancer ◽

Health Care ◽

Palliative Care ◽

Health Care Utilization ◽

Eastern Europe ◽

Chart Review ◽

Central And Eastern Europe ◽

Treatment Patterns ◽

Care Utilization ◽

Delphi Panel

ObjectiveDespite the considerable disease burden of ovarian cancer, there were no cost studies in Central and Eastern Europe. This study aimed to describe treatment patterns, health care utilization, and costs associated with treating ovarian cancer in Hungary, Poland, Serbia, and Slovakia.MethodOverall clinical practice for management of epithelial ovarian cancer was investigated through a 3-round Delphi panel. Experts completed a survey based on the chart review (n = 1542). The survey was developed based on clinical guidelines and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Annual Report. Means, ranges, and outlier values were discussed with the experts during a telephone interview. Finally, consensus estimates were obtained in face-to-face workshops. Based on these results, overall cost of ovarian cancer was estimated using a Markov model.ResultsThe patients included in the chart review were followed up from presurgical diagnosis and in each phase of treatment, that is, surgical staging and primary surgery, chemotherapy and chemotherapy monitoring, follow-up, and palliative care. The 5-year overall cost per patient was €14,100 to €16,300 in Hungary, €14,600 to €15,800 in Poland, €7600 to €8100 in Serbia, and €12,400 to €14,500 in Slovakia. The main components were chemotherapy-associated costs (68%–74% of the total cost), followed by cost of primary treatment with surgery (15%–21%) and palliative care (3%–10%).ConclusionsPatients with ovarian cancer consume considerable health care resources and incur substantial costs in Central and Eastern Europe. These findings may prove useful for clinicians and decision makers in understanding the economic implications of managing ovarian cancer in Central and Eastern Europe and the need for innovative therapies.

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