Reducing inpatient mortality in patients with cancer through multidisciplinary review and targeted interventions.

Authors

null

Manan P Shah

Stanford Health Care, Stanford, CA

Manan P Shah , Sarah K. Garrigues , Ali Raza Khaki , Jennifer Hansen , Vasu Divi , Douglas W. Blayney

Organizations

Stanford Health Care, Stanford, CA, Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Research Funding

No funding received

Background: Excess inpatient mortality is a marker of poor quality in cancer care. We developed a multidisciplinary mortality review committee to review each inpatient death to determine key drivers of mortality and develop targeted interventions to reduce our inpatient mortality index. Methods: Through retrospective review, inpatient deaths were identified at Stanford Health Care for patients with an ICD10 cancer diagnosis regardless of inpatient service. Details of each hospitalization were reviewed by a quality consultant and subsequently reviewed by a physician quality team member to identify opportunities for improvement. Most cases were then discussed in a monthly multidisciplinary committee meeting. The committee analyzed key drivers of inpatient mortality, communicated suggestions to the patient’s outpatient and inpatient attending physicians, and/or identified opportunities for systemic change. The resulting targeted interventions were tracked using the observed versus expected mortality ratio for inpatient deaths over time. Results: From May 2017 through August 2021 we reviewed 528 inpatient oncology deaths. Patients’ median age was 65 years, and the median length of stay was 8 days. 73% of patients had metastatic cancer, and 28% received chemotherapy within 14 days of death. 25% of patients had a prior ED visit, and 35% had a prior hospitalization within 30 days of admission. Only 26% of patients had an advanced directive on record at time of death. Opportunities for improvement were identified for 60% of cases (Table). Interventions have aimed to increase advance care planning conversations and documentation, develop predictive models for cancer-related readmissions and mortality, expand outpatient services for urgent symptoms, and expedite transitions to hospice. Conclusions: Understanding key drivers for preventable inpatient mortality through a multidisciplinary review process identified targeted interventions that have successfully contributed to reduction of the inpatient cancer mortality index.

Opportunities for improvement identified by physicians through secondary review of inpatient deaths (n = 528).

Opportunities for improvement identified in mortality review
% of cases
Lack of outpatient advance care planning conversations and documentation24
Delay in transition to hospice13
Delayed or inadequate incorporation of palliative care service9
Medical futility or aggressive treatment with unlikely clinical benefit9
Goals of care discordance between providers and patient/family5

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2022 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Care Delivery and Regulatory Policy

Track

Care Delivery and Quality Care

Sub Track

Care Delivery

Citation

J Clin Oncol 40, 2022 (suppl 16; abstr 1524)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2022.40.16_suppl.1524

Abstract #

1524

Poster Bd #

118

Abstract Disclosures

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