The association between systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) at the end of life (EOL) and acute care use among patients treated at oncology practices participating in the Oncology Care Model (OCM).

Authors

null

Maureen Canavan

Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

Maureen Canavan , Karna Sheth , Jeffrey A. Scott , Sarah Westvold , Kerin B. Adelson

Organizations

Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, Everett Castle, LLC, Hillsboro, OR, Integra Connect, West Palm Beach, FL, Yale University, New Haven, CT

Research Funding

No funding received
None.

Background: Receipt of chemotherapy near EOL has been shown to harm patient and caregiver experience, increase hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency department (ED) use and drive-up costs. As rates of chemotherapy at EOL have declined, we have seen increases in the rates of immunotherapy at EOL. It is unknown whether use of EOL immunotherapy is associated with the same pattern of higher downstream acute care use and cost. Using data from OCM, a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) alternative payment model, we evaluated the relationship between SACT type and acute care utilization within 30 days of death. Methods: Using anonymized Integra Connect data for OCM episode claims attributed to 8 multi-site OCM practices between July 2016 and December 2021, we stratified patients by SACT type received within 30 days of death (immunotherapy (IO), chemotherapy (CT), or none) and used chi-square tests to compare the proportion of decedents who had inpatient admission, ICU stay, ED visits without inpatient admission, and hospice use within 30 days of death. Results: Among 14,169 OCM decedents, 2,227 (15.7%) received IO within 30 days of death, 6,627 (46.8%) received CT and 5,315 (37.5%) received no SACT (table). Patients who received no SACT at EOL were significantly more likely to start hospice within 30 days of death (76%) and to be in hospice for ≥3 days prior to death (61%) compared with IO (65% and 40%) and CT patients (59% and 37%) respectively (all p-values<0.05). Patients who received IO or CT were significantly more likely to have an inpatient stay within 30 days of death (66% and 68% respectively) compared with patients who received no SACT at EOL (58%, p-values <0.001). No difference in ED visits within 30 days of death between IO (18%), CT (20%), and no SACT (19%) p < 0.270. Conclusions: Patients who received chemotherapy or IO therapy within 30 days of death had higher proportion of inpatient admissions, ICU stay and lower rates of hospice than patients who received no SACT at the EOL. Patients who did not have any SACT at EOL were more likely to utilize hospice services and for a longer time. Further research should explore whether these findings are generalizable to patients outside of OCM and the magnitude of costs associated with these acute care metrics.

Acute care and hospice utilization within 30 days of death by SACT treatment within 30 days.

IO
2,227
CHEMO
6,627
NO SACT
5,315
p-value
N%N%N%
ICU869 39.0270040.7166731.4< 0.01
Inpatient147566.2453868.5306557.7< 0.01
ED40818.3131019.7100919.00.270
Hospice started144464.8389558.8403375.9< 0.01
Hospice for ≥ 3 days89840.3248737.4322860.7< 0.01

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2023 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Health Services Research and Quality Improvement

Track

Quality Care/Health Services Research

Sub Track

Quality Improvement

Citation

J Clin Oncol 41, 2023 (suppl 16; abstr 6580)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.6580

Abstract #

6580

Poster Bd #

72

Abstract Disclosures

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