Multidisciplinary cancer conferences as a forum for early identification of patients who can benefit from palliative care.

Authors

null

Frances Catriona Wright

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada

Frances Catriona Wright, Hardeep Johal, Marnie MacKinnon, Erin Arthurs

Organizations

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada

Research Funding

No funding sources reported

Background: Introducing palliative care early in the cancer journey results in a better quality of life, less aggressive care and longer survival compared to patients receiving standard care. The INTEGRATE Project goal is to identify and manage patients who can benefit from palliative care using the UK Gold Standards Framework Surprise Question (would you be surprised if this person died within the next year?). Multidisciplinary cancer conferences (MCCs) are scheduled meetings for oncology teams to prospectively discuss patient diagnostic tests and treatment options, which were leveraged for the INTEGRATE Project. Methods: A pilot study to test the efficacy of the Surprise Question at MCCs and implementation of a palliative model of care has been implemented in 3 academic and 1 non-academic cancer centres. A survey was completed to identify provider comfort levels in providing palliative care. All sites completed Pallium Canada’s LEAP Onco module, which equips providers with skills to provide primary level palliative care. Patients identified at MCCs received advance care planning, symptom management, referrals and standardized reporting to primary care. Results: Four disease sites (Lung, GI, CNS and Head & Neck) are participating. A baseline survey showed over 50% of providers had no training in palliative care. 161 providers participated in LEAP Onco. Implementation of the Surprise Question at MCCs began in February 2015. Two months of implementation identified 39 patients at the CNS, Lung and GI disease sites out of 108 of patients reviewed. At the CNS MCC, 100% glioblastoma patients were identified. The Lung and GI disease sites had lower identification rates (27% and 10%, respectively). Identified patients will have their healthcare utilization (referrals to community providers, billing patterns, ER visits) analyzed to determine impact of this project. Implementation continues until 2016. Conclusions: MCCs appear to be an excellent forum for identifying patients who can benefit from a palliative approach to care within the CNS, Lung and GI site groups. Further data is being collected to inform provincial recommendations for broader implementation of palliative care in Ontario.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2015 Palliative and Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session B

Track

Biologic Basis of Symptoms and Treatment Toxicities,Psycho-oncology,End-of-Life Care,Survivorship,Evaluation and Assessment of Patient Symptoms and Quality of Life,Management/Prevention of Symptoms and Treatment Toxicities,Integration and Delivery of Palliative Care in Cancer Care,Psychosocial and Spiritual Care,Communication in Advanced Cancer

Sub Track

Models of care delivery

Citation

J Clin Oncol 33, 2015 (suppl 29S; abstr 148)

DOI

10.1200/jco.2015.33.29_suppl.148

Abstract #

148

Poster Bd #

C13

Abstract Disclosures

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