Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Winston Salem, NC
Tiffany M. Statler , Emily Van Meter Dressler , Carol A Kittel , Melyssa Foust , Kah Poh Loh , Kathryn E. Weaver , Heidi D. Klepin , Chandylen L Nightingale , Jennifer Gabbard
Background: Palliative care promotes timely symptom management, and care planning and improves quality of life in oncology patients. About 60% of community oncology practices sampled in 2015 had outpatient palliative care. This study updates estimates of palliative care resources in community oncology. Methods: Questions from the 2022 Landscape Assessment of National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) (funding provided by 2UG1CA189824) assessed the availability of specialist palliative care providers and ancillary care services, including utilization of advanced practice providers (APPs). Descriptive statistics describe availability of providers and services. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify practice characteristics associated with palliative care specialist availability in 2022. Differences in rates of palliative care specialists, outpatient palliative care, APPs and patient portal use between 2015 and 2022 assessment results were assessed using Chi-Square tests, assuming independent time snapshots of general population characteristics. Results: Most community oncology practices sampled in 2015 had palliative care specialists (76%) and 62% of practices reported having outpatient palliative care. Of the 259 non-pediatric exclusive NCORP practice groups included in the 2022 analyses (Table 1), significantly more had palliative care specialists (86%; p = 0.003) and offered palliative care in the outpatient setting (76%; p = 0.001). Most practices utilized APPs (92%) and had a patient portal (95%), while only 41% had a survivorship clinic. Multivariable analyses demonstrated practices with more adult oncology providers (OR = 1.03, p = 0.039) and those with a designated survivorship clinic (OR = 3.16, p = 0.001), were significantly more likely to have specialty palliative care in the outpatient setting. Conclusions: More practices reported availability of palliative care specialists and outpatient services in community oncology practices in 2022 compared to 2015, with more oncology providers being associated with increased odds of having outpatient specialty palliative care in 2022. Smaller community oncology practices with fewer providers may need support to expand their capacity to provide palliative care.
Count (%) | |
---|---|
Number of adult oncology providers, median (IQR) | 11 (7-20) |
Practice ownership type: Independently owned Owned by large regional/multistate health system Other (HMO/payer, publicly or university owned) | 72 (28%) 157 (61%) 30 (12%) |
Availability of palliative care specialists who see oncology patients at/affiliated with site | 222 (86%) |
Availability of palliative care: Inpatient setting Outpatient setting | 198 (76%) 197 (76%) |
Utilize APPs | 238 (92%) |
Use of patient portal | 246 (95%) |
Have a survivorship clinic | 106 (41%) |
Disclaimer
This material on this page is ©2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology, all rights reserved. Licensing available upon request. For more information, please contact licensing@asco.org
Abstract Disclosures
2022 ASCO Annual Meeting
First Author: Tiffany M. Statler
2023 ASCO Quality Care Symposium
First Author: Renay Smith
2024 ASCO Quality Care Symposium
First Author: Min Woo Hwang
2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program
First Author: Garrett Young