Avoidable and unavoidable visits to the emergency department among patients with advanced cancer receiving outpatient palliative care

Emergency clinician perceptions of end-of-life care in Irish emergency departments: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

Patients with end-of-life care (EoLC) needs present to the emergency departments (ED) frequently and at times, it can be difficult to provide a high standard of care. Within the Irish setting, there is limited literature on the provision of EoLC in EDs and this study, therefore, aimed to evaluate the perceptions of emergency medicine (EM) clinicians regarding the provision of EoLC in EDs in Ireland.

METHODS

The End-of-Life Care in Emergency Department Study was a cross-sectional electronic survey study of EM doctors working across 23 of the 29 EDs in the Ireland. This study was conducted through the Irish Trainee Emergency Research Network over a 6-week period from 27 September 2021 to 8 November 2021. Analysis of the survey domains regarding knowledge and attitude has been published previously by the present authors, with this current analysis focusing on communication, education and resources for the provision of EoLC in EDs. Descriptive data on outcomes are reported with additional subgroup analysis according to years of experience in EM.

RESULTS

Of the 694 potential respondents, 311 (44.8%) had fully completed surveys. The majority (62% n=193) were between 25 and 35 years of age with 60% (n=186) having <5 years' experience in EM; 58% (n=180) were men. Experienced respondents (>10 years' experience) were more likely to agree that they were comfortable discussing EoL with patients and families than those with <5 years' experience (80% vs 32%) (p<0.001). Questions on ED infrastructure revealed that just 23.5% agreed that appropriate rooms are allocated for EoL patients, with just 11.6% agreeing that the physical environment is conducive to the provision of EoLC.

CONCLUSION

EM clinicians agree that they are comfortable breaking bad news and discussing EoLC with patients and families, but disagree that adequate resources and infrastructure are in place to provide a high standard of EoLC in Irish EDs. Challenges exist centred on training and infrastructure and addressing these may lead to enhanced EoLC in the future.

Machine learning predicting acute pain and opioid dose in radiation treated oropharyngeal cancer patients

Introduction

Acute pain is common among oral cavity/oropharyngeal cancer (OCC/OPC) patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT). This study aimed to predict acute pain severity and opioid doses during RT using machine learning (ML), facilitating risk-stratification models for clinical trials.

Methods

A retrospective study examined 900 OCC/OPC patients treated with RT during 2017-2023. Pain intensity was assessed using NRS (0-none, 10-worst) and total opioid doses were calculated using morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) conversion factors. Analgesics efficacy was assessed using combined pain intensity and total MEDD. ML predictive models were developed and validated, including Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM). Model performance was evaluated using discrimination and calibration metrics, while feature importance was investigated using bootstrapping.

Results

For predicting pain intensity, the GBM demonstrated superior discrimination performance (AUROC 0.71, recall 0.39, and F1 score 0.48). For predicting the total MEDD, LR model outperformed other models (AUROC 0.67). For predicting analgesics efficacy, the SVM achieved the highest specificity (0.97), while the RF and GBM models achieved the highest AUROC (0.68). RF model emerged as the best calibrated model with an ECE of 0.02 and 0.05 for pain intensity and MEDD prediction, respectively. Baseline pain scores and vital signs demonstrated the most contributing features.

Conclusion

ML models showed promise in predicting end-of-treatment pain intensity, opioid requirements and analgesics efficacy in OCC/OPC patients. Baseline pain score and vital signs are crucial predictors. Their implementation in clinical practice could facilitate early risk stratification and personalized pain management.

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Uncover Symptom Burden in Palliative Care: Analysis of Nonscheduled Visits Using a Phi-3 Small Language Model

PURPOSE

This study aimed to differentiate nonscheduled visits (NSVs) in an outpatient palliative care setting that are driven by or accompanied by uncontrolled symptoms from those that are administrative or routine, such as prescription refills and examination readings. A small language model (SLM) was used to enhance the detection and management of symptoms, thus improving health care resource allocation.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on 25,867 patient visits to an outpatient palliative care unit, including 7,036 NSVs. A stratified random sample of 384 NSVs was reviewed to determine the presence of symptoms, using physician audits as the gold standard. A Phi-3-based SLM was validated against these audits to assess its accuracy in detecting the symptoms. The validated SLM was then applied to the entire NSV data set to identify symptom patterns. Multivariate linear regression was used to analyze the association of age, cancer type, and insurance category with the presence of symptoms.

RESULTS

SLM demonstrated high sensitivity (99.4%) and accuracy (95.3%) in identifying symptom-driven NSVs. The analysis revealed that 85.7% of the NSVs were driven by symptoms, indicating a significant hidden burden of unmanaged symptoms. The study found that certain demographic and clinical factors, including younger age groups and specific cancer types, were significantly associated with an increased symptom burden.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the substantial burden of symptom-driven NSVs in palliative care and demonstrates the effectiveness of using a SLM to identify and manage symptoms. Implementing such models in clinical practice can improve patient care by optimizing the allocation of health care resources and tailoring interventions to the needs of patients with advanced illnesses.

Patterns in Symptoms Preceding Acute Care in Patients With Cancer

Importance

Patients with cancer frequently experience unplanned acute care with emergency department visits and hospitalization due to disease or treatment complications, which impacts outcomes, quality of life, and health care costs. There remains a knowledge gap in understanding patterns of symptoms that precede acute care events. Natural language processing (NLP) may enable greater understanding of the symptoms and identify differences across patient and cancer characteristics.

Objective

To characterize symptoms preceding acute care in patients with cancer and quantify differences in symptom documentation across sociodemographic and cancer histologic subgroups.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A cohort study in a single tertiary-care institution, including all acute care (emergency department and hospitalization) encounters for patients aged 18 years or older with a primary cancer diagnosis identified between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2023.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Natural language processing was used to identify routine clinical documentation to characterize symptoms documented in the 30 days preceding acute care. Logistic regression analyses was used to examine the possible association between sex, age, race and ethnicity, insurance coverage, cancer histologic characteristics, and reported symptoms.

Results

Overall, 28 708 patients with cancer had 70 606 acute care visits with 854 830 associated preceding documented symptoms. Median age was 61 (IQR, 48-70) years. Men (37 861 encounters [53.62%]) and patients of White race (39 989 encounters [56.64%]) accounted for most acute care encounters. Pain (7.54% of documented symptoms), nausea (6.74%), and vomiting (5.79%) were the most frequently documented symptoms. Acute care encounters with patients who were female (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.14; 95% CI, 1.10-1.18; P < .001), Asian (AOR, 1.22; 1.17-1.28; P < .001), Black (AOR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.10-1.25; P < .001), American Indian or Alaska Native (AOR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.01-1.44; P = .04), or Medicaid-insured (AOR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.05-1.14; P < .001) were associated with a high documented symptom burden (>10 unique symptoms) preceding acute care visits. Patients aged 65 years or older (AOR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.92-1.00; P = .04) or uninsured (AOR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.45-0.76; P < .001) were less likely to have a high symptom burden documented before acute care events.

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this study highlight common symptoms preceding acute care as well as the need for further research on interventions to reduce patient burden, improve quality of life, and reduce the use of acute care in patients with cancer.

Trends in Outpatient Opioid Prescriptions for Cancer Pain Between 2016 and 2021

PURPOSE

Increasing opioid regulations have resulted in reduced opioid prescriptions, including for cancer pain, despite guideline exemptions. Data after 2017 following the Centers for Disease Control's 2016 pain management guidelines are limited on opioid prescribing practices of oncologists. The purpose of this study was to examine the trend in dose of opioids prescribed by oncologists to patients with cancer pain referred to outpatient palliative care between 2016 and 2021.

METHODS

A single-center, cross-sectional, retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary cancer center's outpatient palliative care clinic including 375 adult patients referred for initial consultation for cancer pain between 2016 and 2021. The main outcome was the trend in prescribed opioid doses, expressed as morphine-equivalent daily dose in mg/day. Additional analyses were conducted to identify predictors of opioid prescriptions.

RESULTS

The median age (range) was 61 (19-85), 50% were women, 67% were non-Hispanic White, 80% had advanced cancer, and 91% reported proficiency in English. Ninety-five percent had solid tumors, predominantly GI (22%), breast (15%), and genitourinary (14%). From 2016 to 2021, the median dose of opioids decreased from 37.5 to 7.5 (P < .001). The proportion of patients on long-acting opioid decreased from 26% to 12% (P = .019), whereas that of patients without opioids increased from 28% to 41% (P = .008). CAGE-AID score (reflecting potential for substance abuse; β Coefficient, 43.2 [95% CI, 23.3 to 63.2], P < .001) and pain on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (5.77 [95% CI, 2.6 to 8.9], P < .001) predicted higher opioid dose, whereas non-English language predicted lower dose (-26.9 [95% CI, -53.1 to -0.8], P = .043).

CONCLUSION

During the study period, we observed a five-fold decline in opioid dose prescribed by oncologists for cancer pain. This raises concerns for undertreatment of pain in patients with cancer.

Validation of the Palliative Care and Rapid Emergency Screening (P-CaRES) Tool in Germany

Background/Objectives: The "Palliative Care and Rapid Emergency Screening Tool" (P-CaRES) is used to identify patients with palliative needs in the emergency department. This study aims to translate, adapt, and validate the P-CaRES tool for the German healthcare context. Methods: This is a monocentric, non-interventional, retrospective study conducted in the emergency department of the University Hospital Essen, Germany. After a structured translation process, the tool's face and content validity were evaluated using questionnaires completed by healthcare workers. Construct validity was established by comparing the results with the German-validated Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT). A palliative care physician blinded to the tool, independently assessed the screened patients, and made recommendations on the appropriateness of palliative care referrals. Results: Two hundred eighty-nine emergency department visits were examined. In addition, a total of 26 healthcare professionals were surveyed. 258 screenings were conducted, with P-CaRES identifying 50 positive cases (19.4%). Agreement between SPICT and P-CaRES was 88.4% (kappa: 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI): [0.56, 0.78]), showing 64.7% sensitivity and 96.8% specificity. Expert comparison yielded 85.5% agreement (kappa: 0.54, 95% CI: [0.41, 0.68]), with 64.0% sensitivity and 90.8% specificity. Face and content validity showed strong agreement regarding the tool's design, including its comprehensibility, applicability, ease of use, and precision, as well as its usefulness in referring patients to a specialized palliative care team. Conclusions: The study successfully validated a cultural and linguistic equivalent German version of the P-CaRES tool. Further research is necessary to assess the tool's effectiveness in clinical practice.

Understanding oncologic emergencies and related emergency department visits and hospitalizations: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Patients with cancer frequently visit the emergency department (ED) and are at high risk for hospitalization due to severe illness from cancer progression or treatment side effects. With an aging population and rising cancer incidence rates worldwide, it is crucial to understand how EDs and other acute care venues manage oncologic emergencies. Insights from other nations and health systems may inform resources necessary for optimal ED management and novel care delivery pathways. We described clinical management of oncologic emergencies and their contribution to ED visits and hospitalizations worldwide.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of peer-reviewed original research studies published in the English language between January 1st, 2003, to December 31st, 2022, garnered from PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE. We included all studies investigating adult (≥ 18 years) cancer patients with emergency visits. We examined chief complaints or predictors of ED use that explicitly defined oncologic emergencies.

RESULTS

The search strategy yielded 49 articles addressing cancer-related emergency visits. Most publications reported single-site studies (n = 34/49), with approximately even distribution across clinical settings- ED (n = 22/49) and acute care hospital/ICU (n = 27/49). The number of patient observations varied widely among the published studies (range: 9 - 87,555 patients), with most studies not specifying the cancer type (n = 33/49), stage (n = 41/49), or treatment type (n = 36/49). Most studies (n = 31/49) examined patients aged ≥ 60 years. Infection was the most common oncologic emergency documented (n = 22/49), followed by pain (n = 20/49), dyspnea (n = 19/49), and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (n = 17/49). Interventions within the ED or hospital ranged from pharmacological management with opioids (n = 11/49), antibiotics (n = 9/49), corticosteroids (n = 5/49), and invasive procedures (e.g., palliative stenting; n = 13/49) or surgical interventions (n = 2/49).

CONCLUSION

Limited research specifically addresses oncologic emergencies despite the international prevalence of ED presentations among cancer patients. Patients with cancer presenting to the ED appear to have a variety of complaints which could result from their cancers and thus may require tailored diagnostic and intervention pathways to provide optimal acute care. Further acute geriatric oncology research may clarify the optimal management strategies to improve the outcomes for this vulnerable patient population.

Early integration or last consultation: in-house palliative care involvement for hospitalized patients in tertiary medicine-a retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

The importance of timely integration of palliative care has been confirmed over the past years for any patient suffering from a life-threatening or life-limiting disease. Palliative and supportive care increases quality of life of patients and caregivers in both oncological and non-cancer diseases and should therefore be offered on a needs-based approach and throughout the disease trajectory.

METHODS

We analyzEd all in-patient consultation requests of the leading university hospital in Switzerland in 2019. Sociodemographics, symptoms, and specific requests as well as provided support offers were retrieved from the electronic patient files. Demographic and clinical data was analyzed by descriptive statistics between groups. Overall survival from diagnosis and time from consultation to death was analyzed by means of Kaplan-Meier estimates and log-rank test.

RESULTS

We identified 507 in-patient consultation requests from 24 oncological and non-oncological departments in 2019. The final analysis cohort comprised 290 patients, of which 133 women (45.9%). Median overall survival of the population from diagnosis was 21.1 months (CI 15.57-26.72). Median survival from palliative care consultation was 29 days (CI 20.89-37.11), independent of primary diagnosis (p = 0.298) or sex (p = 0.079). A total of 38.9% (N = 140) of consultations were requested concurrently to a tumor-targeted treatment. Palliative care consultations provided more support services than requested (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our findings underline the persisting late involvement of palliative care services in the disease trajectory, despite being a concurrently consultable and readily available support service to address patient and caregiver needs.

Analyzing temporal patterns in frequent emergency department visits among oncology patients using semantic similarity measures

PURPOSE

Patients with cancer face complex challenges that often lead them to seek care in emergency departments (EDs) for acute symptoms and complications. While previous studies have examined preventable ED visits by patients with cancer, less attention has focused on frequent ED use in this population. This study aimed to explore the temporal visit patterns of frequent ED users with cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed ED visit records from 10 large hospitals (five urban, five rural) in Illinois from 2018 to 2019. Adult frequent ED users, defined as those with four or more visits in a year, were classified as cancer or non-cancer users based on cancer-related diagnoses in their first four visits. The Wu-Palmer method was used to calculate semantic similarity between diagnoses.

RESULTS

Of the 98,246 frequent ED users, 18.2 % had at least one cancer-related visit. Cancer patients made up 21.7 % of frequent users in urban EDs and 7.6 % in rural EDs. Cancer patients had slightly higher proximity scores than non-cancer patients. Patients with central nervous system malignancies had the highest median proximity score, while breast cancer patients had a lower score. In both urban and rural EDs, cancer patients had significantly higher proximity scores than non-cancer patients, with the difference being more pronounced in urban EDs.

CONCLUSION

Frequent ED visits by oncology patients are more likely to be for similar reasons compared to non-cancer frequent users. These findings highlight the need for targeted care coordination for oncology patients who frequently visit the ED, potentially reducing repeat visits through improved outpatient management. Understanding the distinct patterns of ED utilization among cancer patients could help prioritize resource allocation and care pathways.

Assessing the Validity of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Measure in Identifying Potentially Preventable Emergency Department Visits by Patients With Cancer

PURPOSE

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented chemotherapy measures (OP-35) to reduce potentially preventable emergency department visits (PPEDVs) and hospitalizations. This study evaluated the validity of the OP-35 measure in identifying PPEDVs among patients with cancer.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study, which used data from the 2012-2022 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. ED visits are assessed and compared on the basis of three measures: immediacy using Emergency Severity Index (ESI), disposition (discharge v hospitalization), and OP-35 criteria.

RESULTS

Between 2012 and 2022, a weighted sample of 46,723,524 ED visits were made by patients with cancer. Among reported ESI cases, 25.2% (8,346,443) was high urgency. In addition, 30.3% (14,135,496) of ED visits among patients with cancer led to hospitalizations. Using the OP-35 measure, it was found that 20.85% (9,743,977) was PPEDVs. A 21.9% (10,232,102) discrepancy between discharge diagnosis (CMS billing codes) and chief complaints was identified. Further analysis showed that 19.2% (1,872,556) of potentially preventable ED visits (CMS OP-35) were high urgency and 32.6% (3,181,280) resulted in hospitalization.

CONCLUSION

The CMS approach to identifying PPEDVs has limitations. First, it may overcount preventable visits by including high-urgency or hospitalization-requiring cases. Second, relying on final diagnoses for retrospective preventability judgment can be misleading as they may not reflect the initial reason for the visit. In addition, differentiating causes for ED visits in patients with cancer undergoing various treatments is challenging as the approach does not distinguish between chemotherapy-related complications and others. Identification inconsistencies arise because of varying coding practices and chosen preventable conditions, lacking consensus and alignment with specific hospital or patient needs. Finally, the model fails to consider crucial nonclinical factors like social support, economic barriers, and alternative care access, potentially unfairly penalizing hospitals serving underserved populations.

Health care utilization at the end of life in Parkinson's disease: a population-based register study

BACKGROUND

Knowledge of health care utilization at the end of life in Parkinson's disease (PD) is sparse. This study aims to investigate end of life health care utilization, characterized by emergency room (ER) visits, receipt of specialized palliative care (SPC), and acute hospital deaths in a Swedish population-based PD cohort.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study on deceased patients (≥ 18 years) with a PD diagnosis during their last year of life (n = 922), based on health care-provider data from Region Stockholm´s data warehouse, for the study period 2015-2021. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses tested associations and adjusted Odds ratios (aORs) were calculated.

RESULTS

During the last month of life, approx. half of the cohort had emergency room (ER) visits and risk of frailty (measured by Hospital Frailty Risk Score) significantly predicted these visits (aOR, 3.90 (2.75-5.55)). In total, 120 people (13%) received SPC during their last three months of life, which positively associated with risk for frailty, (aOR, 2.65 (1.43-4.94, p = 0.002). In total, 284 people (31%) died in acute hospital settings. Among community-dwellers, male gender and frailty were strongly associated with acute hospital deaths (aOR, 1.90 (1.15-3.13, p = 0.01) and 3.70 (1.96-6.98, p < 0.0001)).

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of ER visits at end of life and hospital deaths were relatively high in this population-based cohort. Considering a high disease burden, referral to SPC at end of life was relatively low. Sex-specific disparities in health care utilization are apparent. Identifying people with high risk for frailty could assist the planning of optimal end-of-life care for people with PD.

Prediction of 90-day mortality risk after unplanned emergency department visits of advanced stage cancer patients

PURPOSE

Cancer represents the leading cause of mortality in high-income countries. In the last years, the rate of emergency department (ED) visits by cancer patients has increased 5.5-fold. These ED visits impose a significant economic burden and may indicate the progression of the oncologic disease. The goal of this retrospective study was to identify patient-derived risk factors, especially focusing on serum albumin and body mass index (BMI) for 90-day mortality following unplanned ED visits by cancer patients.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of all patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis for cancer undergoing palliative treatment presenting at the ED between 2016 and 2018 at the General Hospital of Vienna was performed. Laboratory values, emergency severity index (ESI), and BMI were collected at the ED presentation. 90-day mortality (90MM) was calculated from the ED presentation.

RESULTS

A total of 448 cancer patients were included. Lung cancer (19.2%) and pancreaticobiliary cancer (15.6%) were the most frequent diagnoses. The main reasons for ED visits were pain (20.5%) and fever (17.4%). Sixty-nine percent of patients had to be admitted and 17.5% of patients died during hospitalization. 90MM was highest for patients with low albumin (< 35 g/L vs. > 35 g/L: 60.4% vs. 31.4%; p < .0001). When incorporating albumin levels and BMI, patients with both values below the cutoff had the highest risk for death (HR 4.01, 95% CI 2.30-7.02).

CONCLUSION

Cancer patients face a high risk for hospitalization when presenting at the ED. The 90MM rate is highest in patients with low BMI and albumin levels. This highlights an especially vulnerable cohort of cancer patients for whom supportive care and palliative care have to be optimized.

Constipation: a neglected condition in older emergency department patients

Constipation and fecal impaction are common issues with the potential for significant morbidity in older people presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). While many of these patients present with classical symptoms of constipation or fecal impaction, atypical presentations are also frequent. These atypical presentations may include paradoxical diarrhea, fecal incontinence, urinary retention or overflow incontinence, hyperactive or hypoactive delirium, anorexia/dysphagia, and syncope. In addition, various clinical conditions (such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, dehydration, and hypothyroidism) and medications (such as opiate analgesics, anticholinergics, diuretics, calcium channel blockers, anti-parkinsonian drugs, and oral iron supplements) are associated with constipation and should be considered during the diagnostic process in the ED. This narrative review specifically focuses on the prevalence, presentation, diagnoses, and management of constipation in older ED patients.

Avoidable emergency admissions: defining the concept

BACKGROUND

The transfer of end-of-life patients to hospital via admission to an emergency service mainly happens because of a lack of community support nearby and a lack of resources in palliative care.

AIMS

This study aimed to define the concept of avoidable admission to an emergency department for palliative patients.

METHODS

An integrative literature review was performed. The results of this were put to a panel of palliative care experts via a Delphi process to determine their consensus and agreement with the statements.

FINDINGS

The results of the two-step Delphi process reached a high level of consensus and agreement that patients with palliative needs accompanied by home palliative care teams should not go to the emergency department. There was a low level of consensus and agreement about the appropriate admission of a patient in pain in the absence of any information about previous community support.

CONCLUSION

The findings allowed the definition of an 'avoidable emergency admission', which is an emergency admission for any symptom or condition that could be supported in a home context or primary health care, or any emergency admission that does not require immediate nursing or medical intervention, nor leads to greater comfort or quality of life for the patient.

Paramedics Providing Palliative Care at Home: A Retrospective Cohort Study Comparing Symptom Management of Breathlessness and Pain in Cancer Versus Non-Cancer Conditions

Background Palliative care aims to alleviate pain and distressing symptoms, affirm life, and offer support to patients and their caregivers. For many, the expressed preference is to die at home. As a result, there is growing recognition that paramedics can play an integral role at the end of life for symptom relief. Paramedic comfort with symptom management in the palliative care context is suspected, based on past work, to be higher for cancer as opposed to non-cancer life advanced disease. The objective of this study was to explore the paramedic management of patients with cancer and non-cancer advanced disease, using pain and breathlessness as key symptoms. Methods  A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Paramedic electronic patient care records were queried for calls with palliative goals of care between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016, in Nova Scotia, Canada, which was the first year of the Paramedics Providing Palliative Care program. A manual chart review of a subgroup of 100 consecutive charts was completed to gain deeper insight. A descriptive analysis was conducted to understand practice variation within this population.  Results The electronic query returned 1909 calls with a palliative approach. A total of 765 (40.1%) had cancer. The most common non-cancer disease category was respiratory. The top chief complaint was respiratory distress in both cancer and non-cancer populations. Medication was administered more often for pain (80%) compared to breathlessness (46.5%). Paramedics were more likely to call Medical Oversight Physicians for pain control advice. Post-treatment pain scores were documented infrequently. In the chart review, symptom management using the patient's own medications occurred in 17% of cases while an additional 5% of cases involved a combination of the patient's medications and paramedic service formulary. Conclusion  The non-cancer population was less likely to have a non-transport outcome. Opportunities for improvement of symptom management were noted for pain and particularly so for breathlessness. Increased comfort with a palliative approach in the non-cancer disease cohort as well as with this key symptom will be a key to the success of the program.

Pre-hospital symptom clusters and symptom network analysis in decompensated cirrhotic patients: A cross-sectional study

AIMS

To generate pre-hospital symptom networks, explore core, bridge and sentinel symptoms, identify pre-hospital symptom clusters and analyse relationship between influencing factors and symptom clusters in decompensated cirrhosis patients.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study design using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist.

METHODS

Demographical, physiological, psychological and sociological characteristics and the pre-hospital symptoms of 292 decompensated cirrhotic patients were collected from October 2021 to March 2023 in China. Frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, independent samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, exploratory factor analysis, multiple stepwise regression analysis and network analysis were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

'I don't look like myself' and itching were core and bridge symptoms, while bloating and lack of energy were sentinel symptoms in decompensated cirrhotic patients. Monthly family income, anxiety, depression, social support and disease duration influenced the neuropsychological symptom cluster, with worrying as the strongest predictor symptom. Influential factors for cirrhosis-specific symptom cluster included Child-Pugh class, monthly family income, disease duration, anxiety and depression, with itching being the strongest predictor symptom. Monthly family income, disease duration and depression were influential factors for gastrointestinal symptom cluster, with loss of appetite as the strongest predictor symptom.

CONCLUSIONS

Neuropsychological, cirrhosis-specific and gastrointestinal symptom clusters were formed in decompensated cirrhotic patients. Through network analysis, direct connections between symptoms, symptom clusters and their influencing factors were revealed, thereby offering clinicians a foundation for effectively managing patients' pre-hospital symptoms.

IMPACT

Decompensated cirrhosis patients commonly have multiple symptoms, while the management of pre-hospital symptoms is often suboptimal. This study identified neuropsychological, cirrhosis-specific, gastrointestinal symptom clusters and recognized core, bridge and sentinel symptoms in these patients. It also revealed the most prominent symptoms within each cluster. This provides insight into the hierarchy of symptoms, improving symptom management in decompensated cirrhosis.

PATIENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

There was no patient or public involvement.

Patterns of acute hospital and specialist palliative care use among people with non-curative upper gastrointestinal cancer

PURPOSE

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers contribute to 16.7% of UK cancer deaths. These patients make high use of acute hospital services, but detail about palliative care use is lacking. We aimed to determine the patterns of use of acute hospital and hospital specialist palliative care services in patients with advanced non-curative upper GI cancer.

METHODS

We conducted a service evaluation of hospital use and palliative care for all patients with non-curative upper GI cancer seen in one large hospital, using routinely collected data (2019-2022). We report and characterise hospital admissions and palliative care within the study time period, using descriptive statistics, and multivariable Poisson regression to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted incidence rate ratio of hospital admissions.

RESULTS

The total with non-curative upper GI cancer was 960. 86.7% had at least one hospital admission, with 1239 admissions in total. Patients had a higher risk of admission to hospital if: aged ≤ 65 (IRR for 66-75 years 0.71, IRR 76-85 years 0.68; IRR > 85 years 0.53; p < 0.05), or lived in an area of lower socioeconomic status (IMD Deciles 1-5) (IRR 0.90; p < 0.05). Over the 4-year period, the rate of re-admission was higher in patients not referred to palliative care (rate 0.52 readmissions/patient versus rate 1.47 readmissions/patient).

CONCLUSION

People with advanced non-curative gastrointestinal cancer have frequent hospital admissions, especially if younger or from areas of lower socioeconomic status. There is clear association between specialist palliative care referral and reduced risk of hospitalisation. This evidence supports referral to specialist palliative care.

More competent informal caregivers reduce advanced cancer patients' unplanned healthcare use and costs

BACKGROUND

Patients with metastatic cancer experience high healthcare use and costs, most of which are unplanned. We aimed to assess whether patients with more competent informal caregivers have lower unplanned healthcare use and costs.

METHODS

This study used data from a prospective cohort of patients with solid metastatic cancer. Patients and their informal family caregivers were surveyed every 3 months until patients' death. Patients' unplanned healthcare use/costs were examined through hospital records. Caregivers responded to the 4-item Caregiver Competence Scale. First, in a deceased subsample of patients and their caregivers, we used patients' last 2 years of data (226 dyads) to assess the association between caregivers' competency (independent variable) and patients' unplanned healthcare use/costs (outcomes). Next, in a prospective sample of patient-caregiver dyads (up to 15 surveys), we assessed whether patients' functional well-being and psychological distress moderated the association between caregivers' competency and unplanned healthcare use/costs (311 dyads).

RESULTS

In the deceased subsample, during last 2 years of patients' life, caregivers' higher competency lowered the odds of patients' unplanned healthcare use [OR (CI) = 0.86 (0.75, 0.98), p = 0.03], and was associated with a significant reduction in unplanned healthcare costs [Coeff (CI) = -0.19 (-0.36, -0.01), p = 0.03]. In the prospective sample, patients' functional well-being and psychological distress moderated the association between caregivers' competency and patients' unplanned healthcare use/costs.

CONCLUSION

With deterioration in patients' condition and an increase in caregiving demands, improving caregivers' competency can reduce patients' unplanned healthcare use and costs. This should be further tested in future trials.

Description and Outcomes of a Palliative Care Pharmacist-Led Transitions of Care Program

Background: Patients with palliative care needs are at high risk of medication errors during transitions of care (TOC). Palliative Care Pharmacist Interventions surrounding Medication Prescribing Across Care Transitions (IMPACT) program was developed to improve the TOC process from hospital to community setting for cancer patients followed by palliative care. We describe (1) the program and (2) pilot study feasibility and effectiveness data. Methods: We recorded pharmacist time, medication errors, drug therapy problems (DTPs), and palliative care provider satisfaction and compared 7- and 30-day readmissions and emergency department (ED) visits between IMPACT and usual care patients. Results: Forty-four patients were reached by the pharmacist. The pharmacist spent an average of 65 minutes per patient. An average of 14.9 medication reconciliation discrepancies per patient and a total 76 DTPs were identified. Seven-day readmissions were lower in the IMPACT group versus usual care; there were no differences in 30-day readmission or 7- or 30-day ED visits. Conclusion: Our pilot study demonstrates that integrating a pharmacist in TOC for seriously ill patients is feasible and valuable.

Missed Opportunity to Diagnose Palliative Care Need Among Older Emergency Department Patients in a Middle-Income Country: A Retrospective Study

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the percentage of missed opportunities (MOs) to identify and treat older adults presenting with palliative care (PC) needs at one emergency department (ED). The secondary objective was to determine the rate of treatment interventions regardless of whether the patients received a PC plan as well as the direct cost of treatment.

Patients and Methods

In this retrospective study, PC need was determined using broad and narrow criteria. The subjects comprised patients aged 65 or older who had out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and/or died in the ED (Group 1) or within 72 hours after ED disposition (Group 2) over a 3-year period (2016-2018). Overall, 17,414 older adults visited the ED, 60 died in the ED, and 400 died within 72 hours after ED disposition and admitted to in-hospital ward. In total, 200 patients were randomly selected; of these, 15 were excluded.

Results

Of the remaining 185 patients enrolled, 161/185 (87%) met the PC criteria and 60/161 (37.3%) were missed opportunities for PC planning. Group 1, had thirty patients, and 8 of those 30 (27%) were missed opportunities for PC planning. Group 2, 131/161 (81.4%), died within 72 hours, and there were 52 missed opportunities (39.7%) of ED PC planning. By comorbidity (Group 2), providers considered PC planning most often for cancer patients (PC: 41.8%; missed opportunities: 15.4%; p = 0.001) and there were more missed opportunities for PC planning among those with ischemic heart disease (PC: 19.0%; missed opportunities: 36.5%; p = 0.025).

Conclusion

Of the older adults who visited the ED, 87% merited palliative care; further, 37% of opportunities for PC planning were missed. Providers considered PC planning most often for cancer patients. Recognizing PC needs and initiating care in the ED can improve end-of-life quality for dying patients.

Avoidable emergency department visits among palliative care cancer patients: novel insights from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East

BACKGROUND

Several studies emerging from developed countries have highlighted a significant number of potentially avoidable emergency department (ED) visits by cancer patients during the end-of-life period. However, there is a paucity of information from developing nations regarding palliative care practices and the utilization of the ED by palliative care patients. Herein, we aim to characterize ED admissions among patients receiving palliative care at our tertiary center in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

This is a retrospective, cross-sectional study evaluating ED visits amongst adult patients with advanced cancer who were receiving treatment under the palliative care department. This study took place over a period of 12 months from July 2021 through to July 2022. Three palliative care specialist physicians independently and blindly reviewed each patient's ED visits and determined whether the visit was avoidable or unavoidable.

RESULTS

A total of 243 patients were included in the final analysis, of which 189 (78.1%) patients had unavoidable visits and 53 (21.9%) patient visits were classified as avoidable. A significantly higher proportion of breast cancer patients presented with unavoidable admissions (14.3% vs. 3.8%, P = 0.037) compared to other cancer types. The incidence of dyspnea (23.8% vs. 5.7%, P < 0.001) and fevers/chills (23.3% vs. 5.7%, P = 0.005) was significantly higher in patients with unavoidable visits. Patients with avoidable visits had a significantly greater proportion of visits for dehydration (13.2% vs. 2.1%, P = 0.002). Notably, although hospital stay was significantly longer in the unavoidable group (P = 0.045), mortality for palliative care patients-regardless of whether their ED visit was avoidable or unavoidable-was not statistically different (P=-0.069).

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the largest and most comprehensive study from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East providing insights into the utilization of palliative care services in the region and the propensity of advanced cancer patients towards visiting the ED. Future studies ought to explore interventions to reduce the frequency of avoidable ED visits.

Comparison of Machine Leaning Models for Prediction of Acute Pain Severity and On-Treatment Opioid Utilization in Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy: Exploratory Analysis from a Large-Scale Retrospective Cohort

Background

Acute pain is a common and debilitating symptom experienced by oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer (OC/OPC) patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT). Uncontrolled pain can result in opioid overuse and increased risks of long-term opioid dependence. The specific aim of this exploratory analysis was the prediction of severe acute pain and opioid use in the acute on-treatment setting, to develop risk-stratification models for pragmatic clinical trials.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on 900 OC/OPC patients treated with RT during 2017 to 2023. Clinical data including demographics, tumor data, pain scores and medication data were extracted from patient records. On-treatment pain intensity scores were assessed using a numeric rating scale (0-none, 10-worst) and total opioid doses were calculated using morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) conversion factors. Analgesics efficacy was assessed based on the combined pain intensity and the total required MEDD. ML models, including Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Gradient Boosting Model (GBM) were developed and validated using ten-fold cross-validation. Performance of models were evaluated using discrimination and calibration metrics. Feature importance was investigated using bootstrap and permutation techniques.

Results

For predicting acute pain intensity, the GBM demonstrated superior area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) (0.71), recall (0.39), and F1 score (0.48). For predicting the total MEDD, LR outperformed other models in the AUC (0.67). For predicting the analgesics efficacy, SVM achieved the highest specificity (0.97), and best calibration (ECE of 0.06), while RF and GBM achieved the same highest AUC, 0.68. RF model emerged as the best calibrated model with ECE of 0.02 for pain intensity prediction and 0.05 for MEDD prediction. Baseline pain scores and vital signs demonstrated the most contributed features for the different predictive models.

Conclusion

These ML models are promising in predicting end-of-treatment acute pain and opioid requirements and analgesics efficacy in OC/OPC patients undergoing RT. Baseline pain score, vital sign changes were identified as crucial predictors. Implementation of these models in clinical practice could facilitate early risk stratification and personalized pain management. Prospective multicentric studies and external validation are essential for further refinement and generalizability.

Outpatient Palliative Care Service Involvement: A Five-Year Experience from a Tertiary Hospital in Switzerland

Background

The value of early integration of palliative care has been demonstrated increasingly for the past years in both oncological and nononcological diseases. Outpatient palliative care services might represent a feasible approach to implement supportive care in early disease. In this study, we aimed at evaluating which patients use and benefit from outpatient palliative care services, which symptoms are addressed most, and which support services are installed in this early phase of disease.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the entire patient collective of a recently developed palliative care outpatient clinic within the leading university hospital in Switzerland for a period of five years. Sociodemographics, symptoms, and information on disease as well as patient-reported outcomes were retrieved from the electronic patient files. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed by descriptive statistics between groups and survival was analyzed by means of Kaplan-Meier estimates and log-rank test.

Results

We report on 642 consultations of 363 patients between 2016 and 2020. Patients had a mean of 1.8 visits (range 1-10), with n = 340 patients (93.7%) of patients suffering from an oncological disease. Overall symptom load was high, with n = 401 (73.7%) of patient-reported outcomes reporting two or more symptoms. Distress levels of 5 or higher were reported in n = 78 (30.4%) of available patient-reported outcomes. Independent of the origin of primary disease and the length of the disease trajectory, patients were referred to the palliative care service in median only four months before death.

Conclusion

We identify high symptom load and distress in the outpatient palliative patient population. Patients benefitted from supportive medication, improvement of ambulatory support systems and advance care planning, and more than one-third of patients remained in follow-up, indicating a good acceptance of the service. Overcoming the overall late referral could, however, further increase the quality of life at earlier stages of disease.

Systematic Review of Genetic Polymorphisms Associated with Acute Pain Induced by Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancers

Background/objective

Pain is the most common acute symptom following radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC). The multifactorial origin of RT-induced pain makes it highly challenging to manage. Multiple studies were conducted to identify genetic variants associated with cancer pain, however few of them focused on RT-induced acute pain. In this review, we summarize the potential mechanisms of acute pain after RT in HNC and identify genetic variants associated with RT-induced acute pain and relevant acute toxicities.

Methods

A comprehensive search of Ovid Medline, EMBASE and Web of Science databases using terms including "Variants", "Polymorphisms", "Radiotherapy", "Acute pain", "Acute toxicity" published up to February 28, 2022, was performed by two reviewers. Review articles and citations were reviewed manually. The identified SNPs associated with RT-induced acute pain and toxicities were reported, and the molecular functions of the associated genes were described based on genetic annotation using The Human Gene Database; GeneCards.

Results

A total of 386 articles were identified electronically and 8 more articles were included after manual search. 21 articles were finally included. 32 variants in 27 genes, of which 25% in inflammatory/immune response, 20% had function in DNA damage response and repair, 20% in cell death or cell cycle, were associated with RT-inflammatory pain and acute oral mucositis or dermatitis. 4 variants in 4 genes were associated with neuropathy and neuropathic pain. 5 variants in 4 genes were associated with RT-induced mixed types of post-RT-throat/neck pain.

Conclusion

Different types of pain develop after RT in HNC, including inflammatory pain; neuropathic pain; nociceptive pain; and mixed oral pain. Genetic variants involved in DNA damage response and repair, cell death, inflammation and neuropathic pathways may affect pain presentation post-RT. These variants could be used for personalized pain management in HNC patients receiving RT.

Smartphone-Based Passive Sensing in Monitoring Patients With Cancer: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

Patients with cancer are prone to frequent unplanned hospital visits because of disease or treatment complications. Smartphone-based passive sensing (SBPS) comprises data collection using smartphone sensors or device usage patterns, which may be an affordable and burdenless technique for remote monitoring of patients with cancer and timely detection of safety events. The aim of this article was to systematically review the published literature to identify the current state of SBPS in oncology care and research.

METHODS

A literature search was done with cutoff date July 29, 2022, using six different databases. Articles were included if they reported original studies using SBPS in patients with cancer or cancer survivors. Data extracted from studies included type of sensors used, cancer type, study objectives, and main findings.

RESULTS

Twelve studies were included, the oldest report being from 2017. The most frequent of the nine analyzed sensors and smartphone analytics was the accelerometer (eight studies) and geolocation (eight studies), followed by call logs (two studies). Breast cancer was the most studied cancer type (eight studies with 111 patients), followed by GI cancers (six studies with 133 patients). All studies aiming for feasibility concluded that SBPS in oncology was feasible (seven studies). SBPS was used as a monitoring tool, with passively sensed data being correlated with adverse events, symptom burden, cancer-related fatigue, decision conflict, recovery trends after surgery, or psychosocial impact. SBPS was also used in one study as a predictive tool for health deterioration.

CONCLUSION

SBPS shows early promise in oncology, although it cannot yet replace traditional tools to monitor quality of life and clinical outcomes. For this, validation of SBPS will be required. Therefore, further research is warranted with this developing technique.

Temporal characterization of acute pain and toxicity kinetics during radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. A retrospective study

Objectives

Pain during Radiation Therapy (RT) for oral cavity/oropharyngeal cancer (OC/OPC) is a clinical challenge due to its multifactorial etiology and variable management. The objective of this study was to define complex pain profiles through temporal characterization of pain descriptors, physiologic state, and RT-induced toxicities for pain trajectories understanding.

Materials and methods

Using an electronic health record registry, 351 OC/OPC patients treated with RT from 2013 to 2021 were included. Weekly numeric scale pain scores, pain descriptors, vital signs, physician-reported toxicities, and analgesics were analyzed using linear mixed effect models and Spearman's correlation. Area under the pain curve (AUCpain) was calculated to measure pain burden over time.

Results

Median pain scores increased from 0 during the weekly visit (WSV)-1 to 5 during WSV-7. By WSV-7, 60% and 74% of patients reported mouth and throat pain, respectively, with a median pain score of 5. Soreness and burning pain peaked during WSV-6/7 (51%). Median AUCpain was 16% (IQR (9.3-23)), and AUCpain significantly varied based on gender, tumor site, surgery, drug use history, and pre-RT pain. A temporal increase in mucositis and dermatitis, declining mean bodyweight (-7.1%; P < 0.001) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) 6.8 mmHg; P < 0.001 were detected. Pulse rate was positively associated while weight and MAP were negatively associated with pain over time (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

This study provides insight on in-depth characterization and associations between dynamic pain, physiologic, and toxicity kinetics. Our findings support further needs of optimized pain control through temporal data-driven clinical decision support systems for acute pain management.

Retrospective study of cancer patients' predictive factors of care in a large, Hungarian tertiary care centre

OBJECTIVES

To identify predictive factors of multiple emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalisation and potentially preventable ED visits made by patients with cancer in a Hungarian tertiary care centre.

DESIGN

Observational, retrospective study.

SETTING

A large, public tertiary hospital, in Somogy County, Hungary, with a level 3 emergency and trauma centre and a dedicated cancer centre.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients above 18 years with a cancer diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes of C0000-C9670) who visited the ED in 2018, who had received their diagnosis of cancer within 5 years of their first ED visit in 2018 or received their diagnosis of cancer latest within the study year. Cases diagnosed with cancer at the ED (new cancer diagnosis-related ED visits) were also included, constituting 7.9% of visits.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected and the predictors of multiple (≥2) ED visits within the study year, admission to inpatient care following the ED visit (hospitalisation), potentially preventable ED visits and death within 36 months were determined.

RESULTS

2383 ED visits made by 1512 patients with cancer were registered. Predictive factors of multiple (≥2) ED visits were residing in a nursing home (OR 3.09, 95% CI 1.88 to 5.07) and prior hospice care (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.31). Predictive factors for hospitalisation following an ED visit included a new cancer diagnosis-related visit (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.66) and complaint of dyspnoea (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.12).

CONCLUSIONS

Being a resident of a nursing home and receiving prior hospice care significantly increased the odds of multiple ED visits, while new cancer-related ED visits independently increased the odds of hospitalisation of patients with cancer. This is the first study to report these associations from a Central-Eastern European country. Our study may shed light on the specific challenges of EDs in general and particularly faced by countries in the region.

Free-text analysis of general practice out-of-hours (GPOOH) use by people with advanced cancer: an analysis of coded and uncoded free-text data

BACKGROUND

People with advanced cancer frequently use the GP out-of-hours (GPOOH) service. Considerable amounts of routine GPOOH data are uncoded. Therefore, these data are omitted from existing healthcare datasets.

AIM

To conduct a free-text analysis of a GPOOH dataset, to identify reasons for attendance and care delivered through GPOOH to people with advanced cancer.

DESIGN AND SETTING

An analysis of a GPOOH healthcare dataset was undertaken. It contained all coded and free- text information for 5749 attendances from a cohort of 2443 people who died from cancer in Tayside, Scotland, from 2013-2015.

METHOD

Random sampling methods selected 575 consultations for free-text analysis. Each consultation was analysed by two independent reviewers to determine the following: assigned presenting complaints; key and additional palliative care symptoms recorded in free text; evidence of anticipatory care planning; and free-text recording of dispensed medications. Inter-rater reliability concordance was established through Kappa testing.

RESULTS

More than half of all coded reasons for attendance (n = 293; 51.0%) were 'other' or 'missing'. Free-text analysis demonstrated that nearly half (n = 284; 49.4%) of GPOOH attendances by people with advanced cancer were for pain or palliative care. More than half of GPOOH attendances (n = 325; 56.5%) recorded at least one key or additional palliative care symptom in free text, with the commonest being breathlessness, vomiting, cough, and nausea. Anticipatory care planning was poorly recorded in both coded and uncoded records. Uncoded medications were dispensed in more than one- quarter of GPOOH consultations.

CONCLUSION

GPOOH delivers a substantial amount of pain management and palliative care, much of which is uncoded. Therefore, it is unrecognised and under-reported in existing large healthcare data analyses.

Patient-Reported Symptom Complexity and Acute Care Utilization Among Patients With Cancer: A Population-Based Study Using a Novel Symptom Complexity Algorithm and Observational Data

BACKGROUND

Patients with cancer in Canada are often effectively managed in ambulatory settings; however, patients with unmanaged or complex symptoms may turn to the emergency department (ED) for additional support. These unplanned visits can be costly to the healthcare system and distressing for patients. This study used a novel patient-reported outcomes (PROs)-derived symptom complexity algorithm to understand characteristics of patients who use acute care, which may help clinicians identify patients who would benefit from additional support.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This retrospective observational cohort study used population-based linked administrative healthcare data. All patients with cancer in Alberta, Canada, who completed at least one PRO symptom-reporting questionnaire between October 1, 2019, and April 1, 2020, were included. The algorithm used ratings of 9 symptoms to assign a complexity score of low, medium, or high. Multivariable binary logistic regressions were used to evaluate factors associated with a higher likelihood of having an ED visit or hospital admission (HA) within 7 days of completing a PRO questionnaire.

RESULTS

Of the 29,133 patients in the cohort, 738 had an ED visit and 452 had an HA within 7 days of completing the PRO questionnaire. Patients with high symptom complexity had significantly higher odds of having an ED visit (OR, 3.10; 95% CI, 2.59-3.70) or HA (OR, 4.20; 95% CI, 3.36-5.26) compared with low complexity patients, controlling for demographic covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

Given that patients with higher symptom complexity scores were more likely to use acute care, clinicians should monitor these more complex patients closely, because they may benefit from additional support or symptom management in ambulatory settings. A symptom complexity algorithm can help clinicians easily identify patients who may require additional support. Using an algorithm to guide care can enhance patient experiences, while reducing use of acute care services and the accompanying cost and burden.

Trends and Characteristics of Potentially Preventable Emergency Department Visits Among Patients With Cancer in the US

IMPORTANCE

An initial step to reducing emergency department (ED) visits among patients with cancer is to identify the characteristics of patients visiting the ED and examine which of those visits could be prevented.

OBJECTIVE

To explore nationwide trends and characteristics of ED visits and examine factors associated with potentially preventable ED visits and unplanned hospitalizations among patients with cancer in the US.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional study used data on ED visits from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2019; US Cancer Statistics reports were used to estimate new cancer cases each year. Frequencies and trends among 35 510 014 ED visits by adult patients (aged ≥18 years) with cancer were calculated.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was potentially preventable ED visits, and secondary outcomes were unplanned hospitalizations and the immediacy of the ED visits. Potentially preventable ED visits were identified using the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services definition. The Emergency Severity Index, a triage algorithm that ranks patients based on the urgency of their health care condition, was used to measure the immediacy of ED visits (immediate [most urgent], emergent, urgent, less urgent, and nonurgent), with the categories of immediate and emergent classified as high acuity. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to calculate trends in ED visits among patients with cancer over time. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the associations of patient, hospital, and temporal factors with potentially preventable ED use and ED use resulting in hospitalization.

RESULTS

Among 854 911 106 ED visits, 35 510 014 (4.2%) were made by patients with cancer (mean [SD] age, 66.2 [16.2] years); of those, 55.2% of visits were among women, 73.2% were among non-Hispanic White individuals, 89.8% were among patients living in a private residence, and 54.3% were among Medicare enrollees. A total of 18 316 373 ED visits (51.6%) were identified as potentially preventable, and 5 770 571 visits (21.3%) were classified as high acuity. From 2012 to 2019, potentially preventable ED visits increased from 1 851 692 to 3 214 276. Pain (36.9%) was the most common reason for potentially preventable ED visits. The number of patients who visited an ED because of pain increased from 1 192 197 in 2012 to 2 405 849 in 2019 (a 101.8% increase). Overall, 28.9% of ED visits resulted in unplanned hospitalizations, which did not change significantly over time (from 32.2% in 2012 to 26.6% in 2019; P = .78 for trend). Factors such as residence in a nursing home (odds ratio, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.25-2.41) were positively associated with having a potentially preventable ED visit, and factors such as the presence of more than 1 comorbidity (odds ratio, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.43-2.32) were positively associated with having an unplanned hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this study, 51.6% of ED visits among patients with cancer were identified as potentially preventable, and the absolute number of potentially preventable ED visits increased substantially between 2012 and 2019. These findings highlight the need for cancer care programs to implement evidence-based interventions to better manage cancer treatment complications, such as uncontrolled pain, in outpatient and ambulatory settings.

Wearable devices in palliative care for people 65 years and older: A scoping review

Objective

The objective of this scoping review is to map existing evidence on the use of wearable devices in palliative care for older people.

Methods

The databases searched included MEDLINE (via Ovid), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Google Scholar, which was included to capture grey literature. Databases were searched in the English language, without date restrictions. Reviewed results included studies and reviews involving patients aged 65 years or older who were active users of non-invasive wearable devices in the context of palliative care, with no limitations on gender or medical condition. The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute's comprehensive and systematic guidelines for conducting scoping reviews.

Results

Of the 1,520 reports identified through searching the databases, reference lists, and citations, six reports met our inclusion criteria. The types of wearable devices discussed in these reports were accelerometers and actigraph units. Wearable devices were found to be useful in various health conditions, as the patient monitoring data enabled treatment adjustments. The results are mapped in tables as well as a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) chart.

Conclusions

The findings indicate limited and sparse evidence for the population group of patients aged 65 years and older in the palliative context. Hence, more research on this particular age group is needed. The available evidence shows the benefits of wearable device use in enabling patient-centred palliative care, treatment adjustments and symptom management, and reducing the need for patients to travel to clinics while maintaining communication with healthcare professionals.

Acute home-based care for patients with cancer to avoid, substitute, and follow emergency department visits: a conceptual framework using Porter’s Five Forces

Background

Patients with cancer constitute a large and increasing segment of patients who receive unscheduled hospital-based care due to treatment-related symptoms and disease progression. The initial hospital-based touchpoint for these unscheduled hospitalizations is often the emergency department. Traditional models of emergency department and inpatient hospital-based care are saturated and incapable of scaling to accommodate the future, increased needs projected for this population. New models of care are necessary to address this gap. Acute home-based care is a promising tool potentially providing patient-centric, efficient care to eligible patients.

Methods

We applied Porter’s Five Forces framework that addresses the bargaining power of buyers and suppliers, threat of substitutes and new entrants, and industry rivalries plus the sixth force of regulation to clarify the factors that will promote or challenge the adoption of a home-based cancer care referral model before or following emergency department visits. Exploring this framework provides insights into the complexities of scaling an acute home-based cancer care model and highlights ways for health systems including hospitals, emergency departments, physician groups, and individual emergency physicians and oncologists to optimize their roles in this emerging model of care.

Results

We found that current workforce shortages, as well as workflow, infrastructure, and regulatory complexities, pose major challenges that unless carefully addressed may restrict the growth of acute home-based cancer care. Additional uncertainties persist around appropriate payment models and the competitive landscape. Key promoting factors include the recognized need in the cancer community and among payers for new models to decrease unscheduled hospitalizations and emergency department visits as well as the uptake of home-based and technology-enabled solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. A better understanding of these forces helps to clarify the risks and opportunities as new entrants build their programs.

Conclusions

Acute home-based cancer care is a promising tool to complement traditional outpatient clinics, emergency departments, and inpatient hospital-based models of cancer care. New technologies and policies increasingly enable a broader scope of cancer care in the home setting.

Patients requiring palliative care attending a regional hospital emergency centre in South Africa: A descriptive study

•

Conducted in a regional emergency centre in the Western Cape, South Africa.

•

Provides an insight into the prevalence of the palliative care population in an African context, specifically with the high burden of HIV and TB.

•

Informs about unique challenges that are faced by emergency centers in the sub Saharan region.

Background

: Globally, emergency centers (ECs) face increasing patients with palliative care (PC) needs. This is also true for South Africa. Factors include an increasingly older population, rising rates of non-communicable and infectious diseases. A paucity of data exists on local rates and reasons for patients with life limiting conditions presenting to ECs. PC and emergency medicine are established specialties, but little is known how they interface in clinical practice. This study describes the contribution of patients with life limiting conditions to the case load of an EC in a regional hospital in the Western Cape.

Methods

: This was a prospective, descriptive study. All patients entering the EC over 3 months were assessed using a validated PC identification tool, developed for low-and-middle-income countries. All patients entering the EC were captured in an electronic database. Those identified to have life limiting illnesses and potential PC needs received a secondary ICD-10 code. These files were extracted and statistically analysed. Variables included diagnosis, demographics, reason for visit, and disposition.

Results

: A total of 426 patient visits (4.24%) were identified. Cancer (25.8%), neurological (19.7%) and HIV (17.4%) were the most frequent diagnoses. Patients with HIV and TB were significantly younger. Physical symptoms were the most common reasons for attendance (87%), followed by social (11%) and system issues (10%). Most patients were discharged home (55%), 26% were admitted, and 13% died in the EC.

Discussion

: ECs in Africa are under-resourced and uncomfortable places for patients with life limiting illnesses. System-related visits could be avoidable, as most were due to patients running out of medication or requiring procedures such as urinary catheter changes, which could be done at the local clinic. Some attended EC due to social reasons, usually due to caregivers feeling overwhelmed. Patients requiring PC make up a significant percentage of EC visits. Optimizing health systems and community home-based care could alleviate EC pressures and improve the illness experience of patients with life limiting conditions.

Admission to the Emergency Department by Patients Being Followed up for Palliative Care Consultations

INTRODUCTION

Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients and families facing life-threatening diseases. Admissions to the emergency department are considered potentially avoidable. This study aims to characterize the use of the emergency department by palliative care patients at a public hospital in Portugal.

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients who had their first palliative care appointment during the year 2019; 135 patients were included, with 255 admissions to the emergency department. Descriptive statistical analysis consisted of calculating the absolute (n) and relative (%) frequencies for categorical variables and medians (Mdn) and percentiles (P25 and P75) for continuous variables. The multivariable associations were calculated via logistic models, with the statistical significance set to p < 0.05 and 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

Dying in hospital was associated with going to the emergency department. Patients who died in hospital had more admissions and spent more time there.

CONCLUSION

Emergency department admissions suggest that there are gaps in the provision of care. It is necessary to anticipate crisis situations, provide home and telephone appointments, and invest in professionals' education to respond to the needs that will grow in the future.

A study of the factors associated with emergency department visits in advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care

Purpose

Several studies demonstrated that cancer patients visited the emergency department (ED) frequently. This indicates unmet needs and poor-quality palliative care. We aimed to investigate the factors that contribute to ED visits among patients with advanced cancer in order to identify strategies for reducing unnecessary ED visits among these patients.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted between January and December, 2019. Eligible patients were previously enrolled in the comprehensive palliative care program prior to their ED visit. All patients older than 18 were included. Patients were excluded if they had died at the initial consultation, were referred to other programs at the initial consultation, or had an incomplete record. The trial ended when the patients died, were referred to other palliative programs, or the study ended. The time between the initial palliative consultation and study endpoints was categorized into three groups: 16 days, 16–100 days, and > 100 days, based on the literature review. To investigate the factors associated with ED visits, a logistic regression analysis was conducted. The variables with a P value < 0.15 from the univariate logistic regression analysis were included in the multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results

Among a total of 227 patients, 93 visited the ED and 134 did not. Mean age was 65.5 years. Most prevalent cancers were colorectal (18.5%), lung (16.3%), and hepatobiliary (11.9%). At the end, 146 patients died, 45 were alive, nine were referred to other programs, and 27 were lost to follow-up. In univariate logistic regression analysis, patients with > 100 days from palliative consultation (OR 0.23; 95%CI 0.08, 0.66; p-value 0.01) were less likely to attend the ED. In contrast, PPS 50–90% (OR 2.02; 95%CI 1.18, 3.47; p-value 0.01) increased the ED visits. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, these two factors remained associated with ED visits:> 100 days from the palliative consultation (OR 0.18; 95%CI 0.06, 0.55; p-value 0.01) and PPS 50–90% (OR 2.62; 95%CI 1.44, 4.79; p-value 0.01).

Conclusions

There was reduced ED utilization among cancer patients with > 100 days of palliative care. Patients having a lower PPS were associated with a lower risk of ED visits.

Utilization of palliative care resource remains low, consuming potentially avoidable hospital admissions in stage IV non-small cell lung cancer: a community-based retrospective review

Purpose

Early referral of patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to outpatient palliative care has been shown to increase survival and reduce unnecessary healthcare resource utilization. We aimed to determine outpatient palliative care referral rate and subsequent resource utilization in patients with stage IV NSCLC in a multistate, community-based hospital network and identify rates and reasons for admissions within a local healthcare system of Washington State.

Methods

A retrospective chart review of a multistate hospital network and a local healthcare system. Patients were identified using ICD billing codes. In the multistate network, 2844 patients diagnosed with stage IV NSCLC between January 1, 2013, and March 1, 2018, were reviewed. In the state healthcare system, 283 patients between August 2014 and June 2017 were reviewed.

Results

Referral for outpatient palliative care was low: 8% (217/2844) in the multistate network and 11% (32/283) in the local healthcare system. Early outpatient palliative care (6%, 10/156) was associated with a lower proportion of patients admitted into the intensive care unit in the last 30 days of life compared to no outpatient palliative care (15%, 399/2627; p = 0.003). Outpatient palliative care referral was associated with improved overall survival in Kaplan Meier survival analysis. Within the local system, 51% (104/204) of admissions could have been managed in outpatient setting, and of the patients admitted in the last 30 days of life, 59% (87/147) experienced in-hospital deaths.

Conclusion

We identified underutilization of outpatient palliative care services within stage IV NSCLC patients. Many patients with NSCLC experience hospitalization the last month of life and in-hospital death.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-022-07364-0.

Hospitalisations of patients with cancer in the last stage of life. Reason to improve advance care planning?

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to examine why patients are hospitalised in the last stage of life.

METHODS

Our study was conducted in a large Dutch teaching hospital. We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients aged ≥18 years who died of cancer either during hospitalisation or after discharge to receive terminal care outside the hospital. We collected data about the characteristics of these hospitalisations and indicators of advance care planning.

RESULTS

Of the 264 deceased patients, 56% had died in the hospital and 44% after hospital discharge. Of all patients, 80% had been admitted to the hospital because of symptom distress. Dyspnoea (39%) and pain (33%) were the most common symptoms. Most patients underwent diagnostic procedures (laboratory tests [97%] and radiology tests [91%]) and received medical treatment (analgesics [71%] and antibiotics [55%]) during their hospitalisation. A 'Do-Not-Resuscitate' code had been recorded before admission in 42% of the patients and in an additional 52% during admission.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that patients with cancer in the last stage of life were mainly admitted to the hospital because of symptom distress. Some hospitalisations and in-hospitals deaths may be avoided by more timely recognition of patients' impending death and start of advance care planning.

Community prescribing trends and prevalence in the last year of life, for people who die from cancer

Background

People who die from cancer (‘cancer decedents’) may latterly experience unpleasant and distressing symptoms. Prescribing medication for pain and symptom control is essential for good-quality palliative care; however, such provision is variable, difficult to quantify and poorly characterised in current literature. This study aims to characterise trends in prescribing analgesia, non-analgesic palliative care medication and non-palliative medications, to cancer decedents, in their last year of life, and to assess any associations with demographic or clinical factors.

Methods

This descriptive study, analysed all 181,247 prescriptions issued to a study population of 2443 cancer decedents in Tayside, Scotland (2013–2015), in the last year of life, linking prescribing data to demographic, and cancer registry datasets using the unique patient-identifying Community Health Index (CHI) number. Anonymised linked data were analysed in Safe Haven using chi-squared test for trend, binary logistic regression and Poisson regression in SPSSv25.

Results

In their last year of life, three in four cancer decedents were prescribed strong opioids. Two-thirds of those prescribed opioids were also prescribed laxatives and/or anti-emetics. Only four in ten cancer decedents were prescribed all medications in the ‘Just in Case’ medication categories and only one in ten was prescribed breakthrough analgesia in the last year of life. The number of prescriptions for analgesia and palliative care drugs increased in the last 12 weeks of life. The number of prescriptions for non-palliative care medications, including anti-hypertensives, statins and bone protection, decreased over the last year, but was still substantial. Cancer decedents who were female, younger, or had lung cancer were more likely to be prescribed strong opioids; however, male cancer decedents had higher odds of being prescribed breakthrough analgesia. Cancer decedents who had late diagnoses had lower odds of being prescribed strong opioids.

Conclusions

A substantial proportion of cancer decedents were not prescribed strong opioids, breakthrough medication, or medication to alleviate common palliative care symptoms (including ‘Just in Case’ medication). Many patients continued to be prescribed non-palliative care medications in their last days and weeks of life. Age, gender, cancer type and timing of diagnosis affected patients’ odds of being prescribed analgesic and non-analgesic palliative care medication.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-022-00996-3.

Characteristics and factors associated with mortality in palliative patients visiting the Emergency Department of a large tertiary hospital in Thailand

Background

The characteristics and outcomes of palliative patients who visited the Emergency Department (ED) in Thailand, a country in which no standard palliative care system existed, have not been comprehensively studied. We aimed to report the characteristics of ED palliative patients and investigate factors associated with mortality.

Methods

A prospective observational study was conducted at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, between March 2019 and February 2021 by means of interviewing palliative patients and/or their caregivers and medical record review. Palliative patients with either incurable cancer or other end-stage chronic diseases were included.

Results

A total of 182 patients were enrolled. Their mean age was 73 years, 61.5% were female, and 53.8% had incurable cancer. Of these, 20.3% had previously visited the palliative clinic. Approximately 60% had advanced directives, 4.9% had a living will, and 27.5% had plans on their preferred place of death. The most common chief complaint was dyspnea (43.4%), and the main reason for ED visits was ‘cannot control symptoms’ (80%). At the ED, 17% of the patients had been seen by the palliative care team, and 23.1% died. Although 51% were admitted, 48.9% could not survive to discharge. Cancer, having received morphine, a palliative performance scale > 30, and ED palliative consultation were independently associated with hospital mortality.

Conclusion

The recognition and utilization of palliative care were largely inadequate, especially for non-cancer patients. An improvement and promotion in the palliative care system from the ED through home care are mandatory to improve the quality of life of palliative patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-022-01009-z.

Cost Burden Impacts Cancer Patient Service Utilization Behavior in a US Commercial Plan

Objectives: The burden of affording high-cost medical treatment (eg, cancer therapy) may impact whether some patients choose to access other needed health services within US commercial plans. However, deferring needed care for a mental or behavioral health (M/BH) condition could result in preventable hospital utilization. This research investigates how income level and total out-of-pocket costs (OOPC) interact to influence the service utilization behavior of insured adult cancer patients with a comorbid M/BH diagnosis. Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective analysis was performed using medical service claims (July 2017-June 2018) and administrative data from eligible members of a large US commercial health benefits plan ( N =5,054). Nonparametric tests were used to examine variation in mean utilization by patient income level and OOPC decile. Negative binomial regression modeling was performed to analyze independent variable effects on count outcomes for outpatient behavioral visits and emergency department (ED) visits. Results: There was significant variation in patient service utilization by income level and total OOPC. Overall, as OOPC increased patients used less outpatient behavioral care ( p <.000). Compared to average and higher incomes, those with lower incomes (<$50,000/year) utilized significantly fewer outpatient visits ( p <.000) and significantly more ED visits ( p <.001) relative to increasing OOPC. Conclusions: The interaction of income level and OOPC (ie, cost burden) could inhibit patients' decision to access supportive behavioral care in the commercial plan. The cumulative cost burden from cancer treatment may promote underutilization of outpatient services and greater ED reliance, particularly among lower income plan members.

Patient deaths during the period of prolonged stay in cases of delayed discharge for nonclinical reasons at a university hospital: a cross sectional study

Background

Delayed discharge for non-clinical reasons also affects patients in need of palliative care. Moreover, the number of people dying in hospitals has been increasing in recent years. Our aim was to describe characteristics of patients who died during prolonged stay, in comparison with the rest of patients with delayed discharge, in terms of length of hospital stay, patient characteristics and the context of care.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study at a high complexity public hospital in Northern Spain (2007-2015) was conducted. To compare the differential characteristics of the groups of patients died during delayed discharge with the rest, Student's T test and Pearson's chi-square test (χ ²) were used.

Results

A total of 198 patients died (6.57% of the total), with a mean total stay of 27.45 days and a prolonged stay of 10.69 days. Mean age 77.27 years. These were highly complex cases, 77.79% resided in the urban area, were admitted urgently (95.45%), to internal medicine or oncology wards, and the most common diagnosis was pneumonia. In people with terminal illness, clinicians can better identify when therapeutic possibilities are exhausted and acute hospitalization is not an adequate resource for their needs. Living in an urban area with the availability of palliative care hospital beds is related to the decision to die in hospital.

Application of Critical Race Theory in Palliative Care Research: A Scoping Review

CONTEXT

Structural racism negatively impacts individuals and populations. In the medical literature, including that of palliative care, structural racism's influence on interracial differences in outcomes remains poorly examined. Examining the contribution of structural racism to outcomes is paramount to promoting equity.

OBJECTIVES

We examined portrayals of race and racial differences in outcomes in the palliative care literature and created a framework using critical race theory (CRT) to aid in this examination.

METHODS

We reviewed the CRT literature and iteratively developed a rubric to examine when and how differences between races are described. Research articles published in The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management presenting empiric data specifically including findings about racial differences were examined independently by three reviewers using the rubric.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven articles met inclusion criteria. Articles that specifically described racial differences were common in the topic areas of quality (75% of articles), hospice (53%), palliative care services (40%) and spirituality/religion (40%). The top three reasons posited for racial differences were patient preference (26%), physician bias (23%), and cultural barriers (21%). Using the CRT rubric we found that 65% of articles posited that a racial difference was something that needed to be rectified, while articles rarely provided narrative (5%) or other data on perspectives of people of color (11%) to explain assumptions about differences.

CONCLUSION

Palliative care research frequently highlights racial differences in outcomes. Articles that examine racial differences often assume that differences need to be fixed but posit reasons for differences without the narratives of those most affected by them.

Impacts of an Opioid Safety Initiative on US Veterans Undergoing Cancer Treatment

BACKGROUND

There is limited research on how the opioid epidemic and consequent risk reduction policies have affected pain management among cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze how the Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) implemented at the Veterans Health Administration affected opioid prescribing patterns and opioid-related toxicity.

METHODS

We performed an interrupted time series analysis of 42 064 opioid-naïve patients treated at the Veterans Health Administration for prostate, lung, breast, and colorectal cancer from 2011 to 2016. Segmented regression was used to evaluate the impact of the OSI on the incidence of any new opioid prescriptions, high-risk prescriptions, persistent use, and pain-related emergency department (ED) visits. We compared the cumulative incidence of adverse opioid events including an opioid-related admission or diagnosis of misuse before and after the OSI. All statistical tests were 2-sided.

RESULTS

The incidence of new opioid prescriptions was 26.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 25.0% to 28.4%) in 2011 and increased to 50.6% (95% CI = 48.3% to 53.0%) by 2013 before OSI implementation (monthly rate of change: +3.3%, 95% CI = 1.3% to 4.2%, P < .001). After the OSI, there was a decrease in the monthly rate of change for new prescriptions (-3.4%, 95% CI = -3.9 to -2.9%, P < .001). The implementation of the OSI was associated with a decrease in the monthly rate of change of concomitant benzodiazepines and opioid prescriptions (-2.5%, 95% CI = -3.2% to -1.8%, P < .001), no statistically significant change in high-dose opioids (-1.2%, 95% CI = -3.2% to 0.9%, P = .26), a decrease in persistent opioid use (-5.7%, 95% CI = -6.8% to -4.7%, P < .001), and an increase in pain-related ED visits (+3.0%, 95% CI = 1.0% to 5.0%, P = .003). The OSI was associated with a decreased incidence of opioid-related admissions (3-year cumulative incidence: 0.9% [95% CI = 0.7% to 1.0%] vs 0.5% [95% CI = 0.4% to 0.6%], P < .001) and no statistically significant change in the incidence of opioid misuse (3-year cumulative incidence: 1.2% [95% CI = 1.0% to 1.3%] vs 1.2% [95% CI = 1.1% to 1.4%], P = .77).

CONCLUSIONS

The OSI was associated with a relative decline in the rate of new, persistent, and certain high-risk opioid prescribing as well as a slight increase in the rate of pain-related ED visits. Further research on patient-centered outcomes is required to optimize opioid prescribing policies for patients with cancer.

Development and evaluation of the efficacy of a web-based education program among cancer patients undergoing treatment with systemic chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose

The study aimed to develop a web-based education program among cancer patients undergoing treatment with systemic chemotherapy and to evaluate the efficacy of the program on symptom control, quality of life, self-efficacy, and depression.

Methods

A web-based education program was prepared in line with patient needs, evidence-based guidelines, and expert opinions and tested with 10 cancer patients. The single-blind, randomized controlled study was conducted at a medical oncology unit of a university hospital. Pretests were applied to 60 cancer patients undergoing treatment with systemic chemotherapy, and the patients (intervention: 30, control: 30) were randomized. The intervention group used a web-based education program for 3 months, and they were allowed to communicate with researchers 24/7 via the website. The efficacy of a web-based education program at baseline and after 12 weeks was evaluated. The CONSORT 2010 guideline was performed.

Results

In the first phase results of the study, it was found that most of the patients with cancer wanted to receive education about symptom management and the side effects of the treatment. Expert opinions on the developed website were found to be compatible with each other (Kendall’s Wa = 0.233, p = 0.008). According to the randomized controlled study results, patients who received web-based education reported significantly fewer symptoms (p = 0.026) and better quality of life (p = 0.001), but there was no statistically significant difference in the self-efficacy and depression levels during the 3-month follow-up period (p˃0.05). The most frequently visited links in the web-based education program by the patients with cancer were the management of chemotherapy-related symptoms (62.6%).

Conclusion

A web-based education program was found to be efficacy in remote symptom management and improving the quality of life of cancer patients.

Trial registration

www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05076916 (October 12, 2021, retrospectively registered).

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-022-07039-w.

Symptom Burden Is Associated with Increased Emergency Department Utilization among Patients with Cirrhosis

Background: Patients with cirrhosis have significant morbidity and mortality, as well as substantial symptom burden. Objective: We investigated the relationship between symptom burden and inpatient health care utilization among patients with cirrhosis. Methods: Adult patients with cirrhosis being evaluated for or awaiting liver transplantation at an academic institution in the United States completed the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), a validated symptom evaluation tool with total scores ranging from 0 to 90. The outcomes of interest were emergency department (ED) visits, nonelective hospitalizations, hospital days, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and 30-day readmissions within 6 months. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were used to examine the relationship between ESAS scores and outcomes. Results: Of 233 patients (43% female, median age 61), the median total ESAS score was 16 (interquartile range 6-30). Higher total scores on the ESAS were associated with increased ED visits, hospitalizations, hospital days, and ICU days (all p < 0.04). After adjusting for age, gender, and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-sodium, ESAS total score remained an independent predictor of ED visits (IRR 1.05, confidence interval [95% CI] 1.00-1.10, p = 0.03). Multivariate ESAS subscale analyses revealed that the physical symptom score was associated with ED visits (IRR 1.09, 95% CI 1.02-1.16, p = 0.01), but the psychological symptom score was not (IRR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.08, p = 0.15). Conclusions: Patient-reported symptoms, particularly physical symptoms, are independently associated with ED visits among patients with cirrhosis being considered for liver transplantation. Further research is needed to examine whether addressing symptoms more aggressively, such as with palliative care co-management, could decrease ED utilization in this population.