Practice of venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in hospitalized cancer patients at a comprehensive cancer center.

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (30_suppl) ◽  
pp. 149-149
Author(s):  
M.Alma Rodriguez ◽  
Alma Yvette DeJesus ◽  
Lee Cheng ◽  
Michael Kroll
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Moderate Risk ◽  
Pharmacological Prophylaxis ◽  
Vte Prophylaxis ◽  
National Quality ◽  
The Impact

149 Background: VTE prophylaxis measures are endorsed by the National Quality Forum in alignment with quality indicators from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accordingly, documentation of VTE risk, prophylaxis measures, and contraindications are recommended for hospitalized patients. To standardize practice we embedded a VTE risk assessment and prophylaxis module into admission and post-surgical order sets (OS), starting August 15, 2011. Methods: A retrospective study of 9,065 cancer patients (≥18 years) admitted to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between June 01, 2013 through September 30, 2013. Pharmacological prophylaxis was executed with low-molecular-weight heparin or unfractionated heparin. Mechanical prophylaxis was executed with graduated compression stockings and/or sequential compression devices. Chi-square testing was used to determine the association between categorical variables. All statistically significant levels were determined with P values < 0.05. Results: 7,366 (81%) of all hospital admissions had documented VTE risk assessment and prophylaxis through the standardized VTE module. Before implementation of the new OS, only 40% of eligible patients received an order for VTE prophylaxis. The majority of patients were designated high or moderate risk (91.1%). Patients with high risk were more likely to receive pharmacological prophylaxis than those with moderate risk (74.1% vs. 38.2%, P<0.01). The most frequent contraindications to pharmacological prophylaxis were major surgery with risk of bleeding and thrombocytopenia (Table). Conclusions: Most patients received VTE prophylaxis based on VTE risk levels presented in a standardized OS. There is is limited information in the clinical literature about the impact of VTE prophylaxis on outcomes among cancer patients, we plan to assess anticoagulation-related outcomes in this cohort of patients. [Table: see text]

Effect of a supportive medicine program for cancer patients on patient connectivity to care and health care utilization.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2034-2034
Author(s):  
Brooke Worster ◽  
Gregory D. Garber ◽  
Rebecca Cammy ◽  
Liana Yocavitch ◽  
Ayako Shimada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Cost Of Care ◽  
Emergency Department Visits ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
The Impact

2034 Background: The benefits of supportive medicine (SM) for cancer patients include improved quality of life, increased patient satisfaction, improved symptom management, increased cost savings and improved survival rates. At one NCI-designated cancer center, all patients were screened for distress; those who screened positive or were directly referred by a provider were enrolled into our multi-disciplinary SM program. Here, we document the impact of the supportive medicine program on outcomes of emergency department (ED) visits, hospital readmission, and non-billable touchpoints associated with patient navigation and resource referrals. Methods: The program systematically screened for biopsychosocial distress utilizing the National Comprehensive Cancer Center Distress Thermometer (DT) and the Problem Checklist (PC) to identify practical, emotional, spiritual and physical issues. Patients were categorized into three types: screened and enrolled in the SM program, and screened and not enrolled in the SM program, or provider referral into the SM program. Data included patient’s age, number of hospital admissions, emergency department visits, and non-billable touchpoints at 90 and 180 days after the distress screening or referral. Descriptive data were analyzed with counts and percentages for categorical variables and summarized with mean and standard deviation for numerical variables. For investigation of the effects of time and patient type on the change in utilization rate, generalized estimation equations for Poisson regression were conducted for each outcome. Results: In all, 2,738 patients were included in the analysis. Patients who were referred from a provider tended to be younger (p < .01) and more likely to die within 90 days (p < .001). At 180 days, ED visits decreased 18% for patients referred to the SM program and 42% for patients screened into the SM program, compared to a 3% decrease in ED visits among those not enrolled in the SM program (p < .01). Similarly, hospital admissions decreased 34% for patients referred to and 39% screened into the SM program, compared to a 4% increase for patients not enrolled in the SM program (p < .01). Non-billable touchpoints increased among all types of patients. Conclusions: An SM program reduces hospital admissions and ED visits, therefore improving outcomes and potentially reducing the cost of care for cancer patients. Future research should link this data to claims data to definitely evaluate the impact of SM programs on cost.

Patient attitudes toward oncofertility care in male cancer patients receiving targeted and immune therapies.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e21593-e21593
Author(s):  
Katy K. Tsai ◽  
Puneet Kamal ◽  
Joris Ramstein ◽  
Alain Patrick Algazi ◽  
Adil Daud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Patient Attitudes ◽  
Durable Response ◽  
Care Plans ◽  
Future Fertility ◽  
Long Term Treatment ◽  
The Impact

e21593 Background: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have resulted in durable response for many cancer patients. The impact of these agents on future fertility are not well described, and patients are often committed to long-term treatment without adequate oncofertility counseling. We sought to better characterize patient attitudes toward oncofertility and challenges faced by male cancer patients undergoing treatment with TKI or ICI. Methods: Men receiving TKI/ICI at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center were retrospectively identified. Eligible men had received at least one dose of TKI/ICI. Detailed questionnaires addressing cancer history, possible effects of treatment on fertility, and obstacles to fertility preservation were completed. Results: Between January 2013 to September 2016, 51 men with a mean age of 46 years (SD 12, range 21-72), 65% white, completed questionnaires. Most (61%) were CML patients, with 12% RCC, 10% GIST, 6% melanoma, and NET, oligodendroglioma, and HCC comprising remaining histologies. 96% were treated with TKI, and 4% with ICI. At the time of diagnosis, 35% of patients indicated a desire to father future children, and 53% believed that cancer treatment might affect their fertility. Despite this, 45% were not asked whether having children was important to them, and 47% did not receive information from any provider on their oncology care team about the possible risks of TKI/ICI to future fertility. The majority of patients felt there was inadequate discussion of how treatment might affect testosterone levels (73%) and their ability to father a child (53%), yet only 14% recalled adequate referrals to a fertility specialist. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that male cancer patients perceive treatment-related infertility risks as important, yet have few opportunities to discuss these concerns with providers. Care plans to address oncofertility needs, especially as TKI/ICI are increasingly used in multiple cancer types, are needed as part of the diagnosis, treatment, and follow up of these patients. Larger retrospective and prospective studies are ongoing to further characterize this patient cohort.

Frequency of unsafe storage, use, and disposal practices of opioids among cancer patients presenting to the emergency department

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 638-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julio Silvestre ◽  
Akhila Reddy ◽  
Maxine de la Cruz ◽  
Jimin Wu ◽  
Diane Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Patient Education ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Prescription Opioid ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Pain Medications ◽  
The Impact ◽  
At Home

AbstractObjective:Approximately 75% of prescription opioid abusers obtain the drug from an acquaintance, which may be a consequence of improper opioid storage, use, disposal, and lack of patient education. We aimed to determine the opioid storage, use, and disposal patterns in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) of a comprehensive cancer center.Method:We surveyed 113 patients receiving opioids for at least 2 months upon presenting to the ED and collected information regarding opioid use, storage, and disposal. Unsafe storage was defined as storing opioids in plain sight, and unsafe use was defined as sharing or losing opioids.Results:The median age was 53 years, 55% were female, 64% were white, and 86% had advanced cancer. Of those surveyed, 36% stored opioids in plain sight, 53% kept them hidden but unlocked, and only 15% locked their opioids. However, 73% agreed that they would use a lockbox if given one. Patients who reported that others had asked them for their pain medications (p = 0.004) and those who would use a lockbox if given one (p = 0.019) were more likely to keep them locked. Some 13 patients (12%) used opioids unsafely by either sharing (5%) or losing (8%) them. Patients who reported being prescribed more pain pills than required (p = 0.032) were more likely to practice unsafe use. Most (78%) were unaware of proper opioid disposal methods, 6% believed they were prescribed more medication than required, and 67% had unused opioids at home. Only 13% previously received education about safe disposal of opioids. Overall, 77% (87) of patients reported unsafe storage, unsafe use, or possessed unused opioids at home.Significance of Results:Many cancer patients presenting to the ED improperly and unsafely store, use, or dispose of opioids, thus highlighting a need to investigate the impact of patient education on such practices.

Frequency of concomitant use of opioids and psychoactive medications among cancer patients referred to outpatient palliative care at a comprehensive cancer center.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (31_suppl) ◽  
pp. 240-240
Author(s):  
Ahsan Azhar ◽  
Ali Haider ◽  
Angelique Wong ◽  
Maria Agustina Cerana ◽  
Madhuri Adabala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Symptom Assessment ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Exact Test ◽  
Psychoactive Medications

240 Background: There are potential severe effects when patients taking opioids receive other psychoactive medications. However, such combinations are sometimes necessary in palliative care. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of concomitant use of opioids + psychoactive medications in cancer patients referred to our outpatient palliative care center. Methods: Retrospective data obtained from consecutive consults was analyzed to determine the frequency of patients on opioids alone versus concomitant opioids + psychoactive medications at first presentation to our clinic. Association of type of medication with demographics and baseline characteristics was evaluated by Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables and Chi-square (Fisher's exact) test for categorical variables. Results: Among 541 consecutive consult visits, 365 (67%) patients were taking opioids at the time of referral to our clinic: 209 (57%) were on opioids alone while 156 (43%) were on concomitant opioids + psychoactive medications [69 (44%) were on Opioid + Benzodiazepine, 46 (30%) were Opioid + Antidepressants, 41(26%) were on both). Patients in the concomitant groups were on higher Morphine Equivalent Daily Dose (MEDD, p = 0.007), had higher Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scores (ESAS) for pain (p = 0.017), anxiety (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.001) and spiritual pain (p = 0.03). Conclusions: A large proportion (156, 43%) of cancer patients referred to outpatient palliative care was on concomitant opioids + psychoactive medications. These patients were on higher doses of opioids with higher levels of pain and psycho-social distress at the time of first presentation. Further studies are required to better understand the clinical implications of concomitant use of opioids + psychoactive medications in such patients.

scholarly journals The Rise of EPR in The UK: A Cross-Sectional Study Examining The Effect of The Transition to EPR on Adherence to VTE Prophylaxis Guidelines in General Surgical Patients

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Almohtadi ◽  
Malvika Subramaniam ◽  
Anja Mattson ◽  
Bihu Malhotra ◽  
Frida Margaretha Eriksson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Tertiary Hospital ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Surgical Patients ◽  
Electronic Patient Records ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vte Prophylaxis ◽  
National Quality ◽  
Prescription Rates ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Hospital-acquired venous thromboembolisms (VTEs) account for 50-60% of all VTEs observed. Surgical patients are particularly at risk, and preventative measures such as thromboembolism deterrent stockings (TEDs) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) proves to be beneficial. The National Quality Requirement in the NHS Standard Contract 2017/19 mandates that 95% of patients undergo VTE risk assessments. Due to nationwide transitions into electronic patient records (EPR), it is important to observe the impact on the completion of vital assessments such as VTE risk. The aim of this study is to observe the effect of implementing EPR in a tertiary hospital on VTE assessments and prophylaxis administration in admitted surgical patients.Methods: Using consecutive sampling method, all acute surgical admissions at the St. George’s Surgical Admissions Unit from 26th February to 18th March (n=154) pre-EPR and 31st October to 25th November (n=151) post-EPR implementation were observed for VTE risk assessment, 24-hour re-assessment, prophylaxis (LMWH, TED stockings) prescription, administration, and patient compliance. These two sets of data were compared using a two-tailed Z test to evaluate the effect of EPR on assessment completion, and to observe if national targets were met.Results: Pre-EPR, 96% of patients had a completed VTE assessment, which increased after EPR implementation to 97% (p=0.39). LWMH prescription rates decreased from 82% to 77%, following EPR (p=0.14). Moreover, TEDs prescriptions decreased from 84% to 64% post-EPR (p<0.01). Administration rates of prophylaxis led to a general improvement post-EPR. The 24-hour re-assessment decreased from 62% to 54% of patients (p=0.08).Conclusions: This study demonstrated that current practice met national requirements of VTE assessment. EPR implementation is associated with improved rates in administration of thromboprophylaxis. However, there is still much room for improvement in adherence to risk assessment completion. Data collection post-EPR began immediately after EPR implementation. Thus, lack of confidence and familiarity of the new system could have influenced assessment rates. A multifactorial approach is required when making large transitions, including enhancing staff attitude, increasing EPR training and assessments in individual Trust’s technological needs to achieve a standard use capability.

scholarly journals Managing the Oral Health of Cancer Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspective of a Dental Clinic in a Cancer Center

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 3138
Author(s):  
Sunita Manuballa ◽  
Marym Abdelmaseh ◽  
Nirmala Tasgaonkar ◽  
Vladimir Frias ◽  
Michael Hess ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Dental Clinic ◽  
Federal Guidelines ◽  
Dental Assistants ◽  
The Impact

The practice of dentistry has been dramatically altered by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Given the close person-to-person contact involved in delivering dental care and treatment procedures that produce aerosols, dental healthcare professionals including dentists, dental assistants and dental hygienists are at high risk of exposure. As a dental clinic in a comprehensive cancer center, we have continued to safely provide medically necessary and urgent/emergent dental care to ensure that patients can adhere to their planned cancer treatment. This was accomplished through timely adaptation of clinical workflows and implementation of practice modification measures in compliance with state, national and federal guidelines to ensure that risk of transmission remained low and the health of both immunocompromised cancer patients and clinical staff remained protected. In this narrative review, we share our experience and measures that were implemented in our clinic to ensure that the oral health needs of cancer patients were met in a timely manner and in a safe environment. Given that the pandemic is still on-going, the impact of our modified oral healthcare delivery model in cancer patients warrants continued monitoring and assessment.

Does a treatment delay affect the survival of octogenarian patient population?

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (8_suppl) ◽  
pp. 149-149
Author(s):  
Ali Mehmood Raufi ◽  
Hassaan Jafri ◽  
Todd W. Gress
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Patient Population ◽  
Gynecological Cancer ◽  
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ◽  
Treatment Delay ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Cancer Management ◽  
The Impact

149 Background: The cancer management of the elderly patient is an increasingly important and challenging issue. The aim of this retrospective analysis is to evaluate the impact of treatment delay on survival outcome of cancer in octogenarian patients. Methods: From 2006 to 2015, established cancer patients age 80 and above who received treatment at our comprehensive cancer center were retrospectively reviewed. We evaluated the relationship between a delay in cancer treatment of more than 30 days in the octogenarian patient and survival using Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: There were 235 octogenarian cancer patients available for evaluation and 115 of these had a delay in initiation of cancer treatment ( > 30 days). Mean age was 83.7 years the treatment delay (TD) group and 83.9 in the no treatment delay (NTD) group (p = 0.70) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 2 or more was present in 22.6% of the TD group and 18.3% of the NTD group (p = 0.42). Metastatic disease was higher in the NTD group (22.5% vs. 11.3% TD group; p = 0.051). There were more breast (36.5% TD vs. 12.5% NTD group) and lung cancer (26.9% TD vs. 18.3% NTD group) in the TD group, and more genitourinary (20.8% NTD vs. 9.6% TD group) and gynecological cancer (20.8% NTD vs. 15.6% TD group) in the NTD group (p < 0.001 for overall comparison). Median overall survival was higher in the TD group (50 vs. 24 months NTD group; p = 0.001). Treatment delay was still associated with improved survival even after adjusting for age, gender, ECOG, stage of disease, and type of tumor (HR 0.64, CI 0.44-0.92). Conclusions: We found that a delay in cancer treatment in the octogenarian patient was associated with better overall survivial. Bias in regards to the reasons for the treatment delay may exist and could have affected our results. We attempted to minimize this bias by adjusting for characteristics that influence treatment between our two study groups. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that a delay in cancer treatment at minimum did not adversely affect mortality in this older patient population.

Assessing the impact of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on patients’ quality of life: An Arabic version of the Functional Living Index-Emesis

2021 ◽  
pp. 107815522199844
Author(s):  
Abdullah M Alhammad ◽  
Nora Alkhudair ◽  
Rawan Alzaidi ◽  
Latifa S Almosabhi ◽  
Mohammad H Aljawadi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Nausea And Vomiting ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Arabic Version ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
The Impact

Introduction Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is a serious complication of cancer treatment that compromises patients’ quality of life and treatment adherence, which necessitates regular assessment. Therefore, there is a need to assess patient-reported nausea and vomiting using a validated scale among Arabic speaking cancer patient population. The objective of this study was to translate and validate the Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE) instrument in Arabic, a patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess the influence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on patients’ quality of life. Methods Linguistic validation of an Arabic-language version was performed. The instrument was administered to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in a tertiary hospital's cancer center in Saudi Arabia. Results One-hundred cancer patients who received chemotherapy were enrolled. The participants’ mean age was 53.3 ± 14.9 years, and 50% were female. Half of the participants had a history of nausea and vomiting with previous chemotherapy. The Cronbach coefficient alpha for the FLIE was 0.9606 and 0.9736 for nausea and vomiting domains, respectively, which indicated an excellent reliability for the Arabic FLIE. The mean FLIE score was 110.9 ± 23.5, indicating no or minimal impact on daily life (NIDL). Conclusions The Arabic FLIE is a valid and reliable tool among the Arabic-speaking cancer population. Thus, the Arabic version of the FLIE will be a useful tool to assess the quality of life among Arabic speaking patients receiving chemotherapy. Additionally, the translated instrument will be a useful tool for future research studies to explore new antiemetic treatments among cancer patients.

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