Impact of advance care planning on the place of death for cancer patients: A retrospective cohort study.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e24007-e24007
Author(s):  
Martina Orlovic ◽  
Julia Riley ◽  
Joanne Droney

e24007 Background: Place of death is an important indicator of quality of end-of-life care (EOLC). Most patients do not want to die in hospital and hospital deaths are costly to healthcare organisations. Advance care planning (ACP) includes discussions about where patients want to die. Cancer patients often have a distinct illness trajectory with a clear terminal phase, enabling opportunities for EOLC planning. This work aims to explore the impact of ACP on the outcomes and place of death for cancer patients. Methods: A retrospective decedent cohort study of 10,727 cancer patients with a Coordinate My Care (CMC) record created 2011-2019. CMC is a digital platform that enables patients to record, revise and share their ACP and EOLC preferences with primary, secondary and urgent healthcare providers in London. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the relationship between in-hospital death and a range of individual characteristics and EOLC preferences. Results: Only 1% chose hospital as their preferred place of death. Overall, 71% died in their place of preference. Home (42%) was the most common place of death, while 20% died in hospital. The likelihood in-hospital death is positively associated with being older (OR = 1.12, p < 0.1), hospital being the preferred place of care (OR = 2.56, p < 0.001), hospital being the preferred place of death (OR = 2.85, p < 0.001) and if the preferred place of death is not recorded (OR = 1.32, p < 0.001). By contrast, patients who are severely frail (OR = 0.61, p < 0.001), who chose not to be resuscitated (OR = 0.56, p < 0.001) and who have a ceiling of treatment for symptomatic rather than intensive hospital based treatments (OR = 0.40, p < 0.001) are less likely to die in hospital. Conclusions: Most cancer patients prefer out-of-hospital death. Discussing, recording and sharing individual’s EOL preferences leads to better quality EOLC. Patient characteristics influence in-hospital deaths, but EOLC preferences exert stronger impact. Enabling cancer patients to die outside of hospital has positive implications for patients and their families and supports cost-effective use of healthcare resources.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (34_suppl) ◽  
pp. 46-46
Author(s):  
Chrystal Ann Landry ◽  
Alaina J Kessler ◽  
Aarti Sonia Bhardwaj ◽  
Cardinale B. Smith

46 Background: As the number of patients living with cancer increases, a growing proportion of hospital inpatients will have an advanced cancer diagnosis. Data suggests that an unscheduled hospitalization for a patient with advanced cancer strongly predicts a median survival of less than 6 months. As hospitalists more frequently become the primary team taking care of admitted cancer patients, communication between a patient's oncologic care team and inpatient primary providers is crucial. We sought to implement and assess the impact of improved oncology consult documentation of patient prognosis on outcomes of advanced cancer patients admitted to our hospitalist medicine teaching services. Methods: We implemented an EMR-based oncology consult note template which required documentation of prognosis, potential future treatment options (if available), and advance care planning. We reviewed all patients with stage IV solid tumors admitted to the hospitalist teaching service for 8 weeks prior and 8 weeks post-template implementation for comparison. We utilized descriptive statistics and chi-squared testing as appropriate for analysis. Results: We evaluated 51 patients in the pre- and 36 patients in the post-intervention groups. Post-intervention, there was an improvement in documentation of prognosis (29.4% vs. 52.8%, p = 0.03), advanced care planning (37.2% vs. 83.3%, p < 0.0001), and in number of palliative care consults (58.8% vs. 83.3%, p = 0.02). On average, goals of care conversations occurred 2 days earlier in the post-intervention group (11 vs 9 days). Similarly, there was a decrease in inpatient chemotherapy administration (3 cases vs. 0), unit codes (2 vs. 0) and in-hospital death (23.5% vs. 11.1%). Conclusions: Creation of an oncology consult note template which incorporates current oncologic prognostic information improved documentation of prognosis and advance care planning as well as outcomes for advanced solid tumor oncology patients and enhanced inter-service communication. Based on these results, continued and targeted interventions are planned to further improve interservice communication.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (30_suppl) ◽  
pp. 171-171
Author(s):  
Chrystal Ann Landry ◽  
Alaina J Kessler ◽  
Aarti Sonia Bhardwaj ◽  
Cardinale B. Smith

171 Background: As the number of patients living with cancer increases, a growing proportion of hospital inpatients will have an advanced cancer diagnosis. Data suggests that an unscheduled hospitalization for a patient with advanced cancer strongly predicts a median survival of less than 6 months. As hospitalists more frequently become the primary team taking care of admitted cancer patients, communication between a patient's oncologic care team and inpatient primary providers is crucial. We sought to implement and assess the impact of improved oncology consult documentation of patient prognosis on outcomes of advanced cancer patients admitted to our hospitalist medicine teaching services. Methods: We implemented an EMR-based oncology consult note template which required documentation of prognosis, potential future treatment options (if available), and advance care planning. We reviewed all patients with stage IV solid tumors admitted to the hospitalist teaching service for 8 weeks prior and 8 weeks post-template implementation for comparison. We utilized descriptive statistics and chi-squared testing as appropriate for analysis. Results: We evaluated 51 patients in the pre- and 36 patients in the post-intervention groups. Post-intervention, there was an improvement in documentation of prognosis (29.4% vs. 52.8%, p = 0.03), advanced care planning (37.2% vs. 83.3%, p < 0.0001), and in number of palliative care consults (58.8% vs. 83.3%, p = 0.02). On average, goals of care conversations occurred 2 days earlier in the post-intervention group (11 vs 9 days). Similarly, there was a decrease in inpatient chemotherapy administration (3 cases vs. 0), unit codes (2 vs. 0) and in-hospital death (23.5% vs. 11.1%). Conclusions: Creation of an oncology consult note template which incorporates current oncologic prognostic information improved documentation of prognosis and advance care planning as well as outcomes for advanced solid tumor oncology patients and enhanced inter-service communication. Based on these results, continued and targeted interventions are planned to further improve inter-service communication.


2020 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002520
Author(s):  
Yung-Feng Yen ◽  
Ya-Ling Lee ◽  
Hsiao-Yun Hu ◽  
Wen-Jung Sun ◽  
Ming-Chung Ko ◽  
...  

ObjectiveEvidence is mixed regarding the impact of advance care planning (ACP) on place of death. This cohort study investigated the effect of ACP programmes on place of death and utilisation of life-sustaining treatments for patients during end-of-life (EOL) care.MethodsThis prospective cohort study identified deceased patients between 2015 and 2016 at Taipei City Hospital. ACP was determined by patients’ medical records and defined as a process to discuss patients’ preferences with respect to EOL treatments and place of death. Place of death included hospital or home death. Stepwise logistic regression determined the association of ACP with place of death and utilisation of life-sustaining treatments during EOL care.ResultsOf the 3196 deceased patients, the overall mean age was 78.6 years, and 46.5% of the subjects had an ACP communication with healthcare providers before death. During the study follow-up period, 166 individuals died at home, including 98 (6.59%) patients with ACP and 68 (3.98%) patients without ACP. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities, patients with ACP were more likely to die at home during EOL care (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.71, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.35). Moreover, patients with ACP were less likely to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (AOR 0.36, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.51) as well as intubation and mechanical ventilation support (AOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.67) during the last 3 months of life.ConclusionPatients with ACP were more likely to die at home and less likely to receive life-sustaining treatments during EOL care.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0242914
Author(s):  
Martina Orlovic ◽  
Tom Callender ◽  
Julia Riley ◽  
Ara Darzi ◽  
Joanne Droney

Place of death is an important outcome of end-of-life care. Many people do not have the opportunity to express their wishes and die in their preferred place of death. Advance care planning (ACP) involves discussion, decisions and documentation about how an individual contemplates their future death. Recording end-of-life preferences gives patients a sense of control over their future. Coordinate My Care (CMC) is London’s largest electronic palliative care register designed to provide effective ACP, with information being shared with urgent care providers. The aim of this study is to explore determinants of dying in hospital. Understanding advance plans and their outcomes can help in understanding the potential effects that implementation of electronic palliative care registers can have on the end-of-life care provided. Retrospective observational cohort analysis included 21,231 individuals aged 18 or older with a Coordinate My Care plan who had died between March 2011 and July 2019 with recorded place of death. Logistic regression was used to explore demographic and end-of-life preference factors associated with hospital deaths. 22% of individuals died in hospital and 73% have achieved preferred place of death. Demographic characteristics and end-of-life preferences have impact on dying in hospital, with the latter having the strongest influence. The likelihood of in-hospital death is substantially higher in patients without documented preferred place of death (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.26–1.62, p<0.001), in those who prefer to die in hospital (OR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.60–3.30, p<0.001) and who prefer to be cared in hospital (OR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.94–3.96, p<0.001). “Not for resuscitation” individuals (OR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.37–0.50, p<0.001) and who preferred symptomatic treatment (OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.33–0.40, p<0.001) had a lower likelihood of in-hospital death. Effective advance care planning is necessary for improved end-of-life outcomes and should be included in routine clinical care. Electronic palliative care registers could empower patients by embedding patients’ wishes and personal circumstances in their care plans that are accessible by urgent care providers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josie Dixon ◽  
Derek King ◽  
Martin Knapp

ObjectivesTo explore whether advance care planning is associated with place of death in England, as well as with sufficiency of support to care for a dying person at home, overall quality of care and pain management.MethodsWe undertook secondary analysis of data from the National Survey of Bereaved People, 2013, based on a stratified random sample of 49 607 people selected from 150 111 eligible registered deaths (n=22 661, 46% response rate). The indicator of advance care planning used was having expressed a preference for place of death and this being recorded by healthcare staff. Analysis was conducted using logistic regression models.ResultsDecedents with a recorded preference for place of death had significantly greater odds of dying at home rather than in hospital (OR 6.25; 99% CI 5.56 to 7.14) and in a care home rather than in hospital (OR 2.70; 99% CI 2.33 to 3.13). They also had significantly greater odds of receiving sufficient support to be cared for and to die at home, of receiving ‘outstanding’ or ‘excellent’ care, and of having pain relieved ‘completely, all the time’ while being cared for at home.ConclusionsAdvance care planning was found to be strongly associated with lower rates of hospital death and a range of quality outcomes. These findings provide support for the emphasis on advance care planning in end of life care policy in England, while also suggesting the need for further research to better understand the mechanisms underlying these relationships.


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