Characteristics Associated with In-Hospital Death among Commercially Insured Decedents with Cancer

The impact of initial treatment strategy and survival time on quality of end-of-life care among patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer: A population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Oesophageal and gastric cancer are highly lethal malignancies with a 5-year survival rate of 15-29%. More knowledge is needed about the quality of end-of-life care in order to understand the burden of the illness and the ability of the current health care system to deliver timely and appropriate end-of-life care. The aim of this study was to describe the impact of initial treatment strategy and survival time on the quality of end-of-life care among patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer.

METHODS

This register-based cohort study included patients who died from oesophageal and gastric cancer in Sweden during 2014-2016. Through linking data from the National Register for Esophageal and Gastric Cancer, the National Cause of Death Register, and the Swedish Register of Palliative Care, 2156 individuals were included. Associations between initial treatment strategy and survival time and end-of-life care quality indicators were investigated. Adjusted risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using modified Poisson regression.

RESULTS

Patients with a survival of ≤3 months and 4-7 months had higher RRs for hospital death compared to patients with a survival ≥17 months. Patients with a survival of ≤3 months also had a lower RR for end-of-life information and bereavement support compared to patients with a survival ≥17 months, while the risks of pain assessment and oral assessment were not associated with survival time. Compared to patients with curative treatment, patients with no tumour-directed treatment had a lower RR for pain assessment. No significant differences were shown between the treatment groups regarding hospital death, end-of-life information, oral health assessment, and bereavement support.

CONCLUSIONS

Short survival time is associated with several indicators of low quality end-of-life care among patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer, suggesting that a proactive palliative care approach is imperative to ensure quality end-of-life care.

A Cohort Study of Patient-Reported Outcomes and Healthcare Utilization in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients Receiving Active Cancer Therapy in the Last Six Months of Life

BACKGROUND

Evidence about the unique palliative care needs of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is limited. Improving the care of these patients will require a better understanding of their unmet needs, including symptom burden at the end of life, and patterns of healthcare utilization.

OBJECTIVE

To describe AML patients' experiences in the last six months of life regarding symptom burden, blood product utilization, and use of palliative care services.

METHODS

Exploratory analysis of prospectively collected patient-reported outcomes and healthcare utilization data during the last six months of life among 33 AML patients who died during a longitudinal observational study.

RESULTS

Symptom burden, quality of life (QOL), and psychological distress worsened with proximity to death. Of the 26 patients with utilization data, most (n = 24; 92.4%) were hospitalized in the last month of life, with 26.9% (n = 7) dying in the intensive care unit. Patients required a median of 16 red blood cell transfusions in the last six months of life, and those with a high transfusion burden in the last month of life had a higher rate of in-hospital death (blood transfusions: p < 0.01; platelet transfusions: p = 0.03). Only six patients enrolled in hospice (23.1%).

DISCUSSION

Patients with AML have marked symptoms and QOL impairments that escalate in the final six months of life. Patients entering the healthcare system for active cancer treatment are likely to continue disease-oriented care until death. High rates of hospitalization and blood product transfusion are a direct barrier to transitioning to hospice care.

End-of-Life Services Among Patients With Cancer: Evidence From Cancer Registry Records Linked With Commercial Health Insurance Claims

PURPOSE

Despite guidelines emphasizing symptom management over aggressive treatment, end-of-life care for persons with cancer in the United States is highly variable. In consultation with a regional collaboration of patients, providers, and payers, we investigated indicators of high-quality end-of-life care to describe patterns of care, identify areas for improvement, and inform future interventions to enhance end-of-life care for patients with cancer.

METHODS

We linked insurance claims to clinical information from the western Washington SEER database. We included persons ≥ 18 years of age who had been diagnosed with an invasive solid tumor between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2015, and who had a recorded death date, were enrolled in a commercial plan for the last month of life, and made at least one insurance claim in the last 90 days of life.

RESULTS

In the last month of life, among 6,568 commercially insured patients, 56.3% were hospitalized and 48.6% underwent at least one imaging scan. Among patients younger than 65 years of age, 31.4% were enrolled in hospice; of those younger than 65 years of age who were not enrolled in hospice, 40.5% had received an opioid prescription. Over time, opioid use in the last 30 days of life among young adults not enrolled in hospice dropped from 44.7% in the period 2007 to 2009 to 42.5% in the period 2010 to 2012 and to 36.7% in the period 2013 to 2015.

CONCLUSION

Hospitalization and high-cost imaging scans are burdensome to patients and caregivers at the end of life. Our findings suggest that policies that facilitate appropriate imaging, opioid, and hospice use and that encourage supportive care may improve end-of-life care and quality of life.