Supporting surgeons in patient-centred complex decision-making: a qualitative analysis of the impact of a perioperative physician clinic

ObjectivePatients with comorbidities can be referred to a physician-led high-risk clinic for medical optimisation prior to elective surgery at the discretion of the surgical consultant, but the factors that influence this referral are not well understood. The aims of this study were to understand the factors that influence a surgeon’s decision to refer a patient to the clinic, and how the clinic impacts on the management of complex patients.DesignQualitative study using theoretical thematic analysis to analyse transcribed semi-structured interviews.SettingInterviews were held in either the surgical consultant’s private office or a quiet office/room in the hospital ward.ParticipantsSeven surgical consultants who were eligible to refer patients to the clinic.ResultsWhen discussing the factors that influence a referral to the clinic, all participants initially described the optimisation of comorbidities and would then discuss with examples the challenges with managing complex patients and communicating the risks involved with having surgery. When discussing the role of the clinic, two related subthemes were dominant and focused on the management of risk in complex patients. The participants valued the involvement of the clinic in the decision-making and communication of risks to the patient.ConclusionsThe integration of the high-risk clinic in this study appears to offer additional value in supporting the decision-making process for the surgical team and patient beyond the clinical outcomes. The factors that influence a surgeon’s decision to refer a patient to the clinic appear to be driven by the aim to manage the uncertainty and risk to the patient regarding surgery and it was seen as a strategy for managing difficult and complex cases.

QATAR’S EXPERIENCE WITH HEREDITARY BREAST AND OVARIAN CANCER AND HIGH RISK CLINIC: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY 2013-2016

Introduction: Approximately 5%-10% of breast cancer is hereditary and BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are responsible for most of the cases. In the State of Qatar, the cancer genetics program was established at National Center of Cancer Care and Research on 2013 which is considered the first of its kind in the region dedicated exclusively to providing genetic counseling, risk assessment and management of high risk patients and their families. In this study, we aim to describe our experience with the hereditary cancer and high risk clinic from the period of March 2013 until December 2016.Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 697 patients were evaluated at the high risk clinic between March 2013 to December 2016. High risk patients were either placed under surveillance or offered genetic testing for the BRCA genes. Results: A total of 697 patients were evaluated at the high risk clinic in which 347 patients were considered eligible for high risk screening. 167 patients pursued genetic testing and 64 patients (38%) had BRCA mutations with BRCA1 being the most common, while 72 patients (43%) were BRCA negative. A total of 31 patients (19%) had variants of unknown significance in the BRCA genes. Most of the BRCA positive patients 63% were affected with either breast and/or ovarian cancers and were within younger age group, while 38% were unaffected. 55% of those BRCA positive affected patients had triple negative breast cancer. The prevalence of BRCA mutations among Qatari breast cancer patients reaches up to 10% while it reaches approximately 3.5% among non-Qatari breast cancer patients. Conclusion: Our program is an example of a well-established and multidisciplinary service targeted toward prevention and personalized medicine in high risk patients that goes in line with Qatar’s 2022 vision of achieving excellence in cancer care. From our unique experience, we show that BRCA mutations are prevalent among Qatari breast cancer patients reaching approximately 10% which can partially explain the young onset diagnosis of breast cancer in Qatar. With the higher awareness about our service and the recent establishment of BRCA testing at HMC, it is believed that the prevalence of BRCA is going to increase. In addition, with the introduction of multigene panel at our clinic, we believe that it will provide us with new perspective on all hereditary cancers. Our data registry on hereditary cancer syndromes will open windows for future research on cancer prevention and targeted therapies.

Neurodevelopmental Outcome of High Risk Babies at One Year of Age Born in a Tertiary Centre

Introduction: With increasing survival of high risk babies, children with different developmental disabilities have emerged as a challenge for the baby, family as well as for physicians. With limited awareness and resources, follow-up and interventions for these babies are difficult. The study was carried out to find out the development of high risk babies in different developmental domains at one year of age.Material and Methods: NICU graduates who visited high risk clinic at one year of age were assessed. ASQ-3 was used to screen development. Children with major congenital anomalies and syndromes were excluded from the study.Results: Out of 28 high risk babies, about 29% had global delay. Those babies who had seizure during neonatal period could not score even in single item of ASQ-3. Conclusion: All high risk babies are at risk of developing delay hence should be followed up regularly. Timely early intervention needs to be started to minimize delay.

Examining screening behaviors at a high-risk ovarian cancer clinic.

e13047 Background: Women with deleterious BRCA1/2mutations have a significantly increased lifetime risk to develop ovarian cancer. Prophylactic surgery can significantly reduce ovarian cancer risk. The Northwestern Ovarian Cancer Early Detection and Prevention Program (NOCEDPP) was established to monitor this high-risk population prior to risk-reducing surgery. For such patients, providers in the NOCEDPP recommend screening with CA-125 and transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) biannually. The aim of this study was to examine screening rates of women who have not had surgery but attend the NOCEDPP. Methods: We reviewed electronic health records of 1,662 women who attended the NOCEDPP clinic between October 2005 – October 2015. Demographic and clinical characteristics and utilization of screening were analyzed retrospectively using descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis H-tests to examine differences in screening rates by age, race, ethnicity and insurance type. Results: Of the 1,662 women initially identified, 385 had a known BRCA mutation, 303 had an appointment with at least 6 months between first and last procedure – the sample included in the final analysis. Compared with women ages 35-45 (median = 1.91) and 45+ (median = 1.18), women ages 20-35 attended the most screenings per year (median = 2.12) p = 0.001, a rate consistent with biannual recommendations. There were no significant differences in screening rate by race, ethnicity, or insurance coverage. Conclusions: Despite changes in national guidelines, providers in our high-risk clinic continue to recommend CA-125 and TVUS biannually. Our preliminary data indicates patients’ attendance is uninfluenced by race, ethnicity, or insurance coverage. Further exploration of the impact of age is warranted. Implication of findings indicate a high-risk clinic may positively impact screening behaviors above and beyond factors typically associated with non-adherence.

Cost-Effectiveness of Skin Surveillance Through a Specialized Clinic for Patients at High Risk of Melanoma

Purpose Clinical guidelines recommend that people at high risk of melanoma receive regular surveillance to improve survival through early detection. A specialized High Risk Clinic in Sydney, Australia was found to be effective for this purpose; however, wider implementation of this clinical service requires evidence of cost-effectiveness and data addressing potential overtreatment of suspicious skin lesions. Patients and Methods A decision-analytic model was built to compare the costs and benefits of specialized surveillance compared with standard care over a 10-year period, from a health system perspective. A high-risk standard care cohort was obtained using linked population data, comprising the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up cohort study, linked to Medicare Benefits Schedule claims data, the cancer registry, and hospital admissions data. Benefits were measured in quality-adjusted life-years gained. Sensitivity analyses were undertaken for all model parameters. Results Specialized surveillance through the High Risk Clinic was both less expensive and more effective than standard care. The mean saving was A$6,828 (95% CI, $5,564 to $8,092) per patient, and the mean quality-adjusted life-year gain was 0.31 (95% CI, 0.27 to 0.35). The main drivers of the differences were detection of melanoma at an earlier stage resulting in less extensive treatment and a lower annual mean excision rate for suspicious lesions in specialized surveillance (0.81; 95% CI, 0.72 to 0.91) compared with standard care (2.55; 95% CI, 2.34 to 2.76). The results were robust when tested in sensitivity analyses. Conclusion Specialized surveillance was a cost-effective strategy for the management of individuals at high risk of melanoma. There were also fewer invasive procedures in specialized surveillance compared with standard care in the community.