Journal of palliative medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Multisite, Randomized Trial of Early Integrated Palliative and Oncology Care in Patients with Advanced Lung and Gastrointestinal Cancer: Alliance A221303.
Background: We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial of early integrated palliative and oncology care in patients with advanced cancer to confirm the benefits of early palliative care (PC) seen in prior single-center studies. Methods: We randomly assigned patients with newly diagnosed incurable cancer to early integrated palliative and oncology care (n = 195) or usual oncology care (n = 196) at sites through the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. Patients assigned to the intervention were expected to meet with a PC clinician at least monthly until death, whereas usual care patients consulted PC on request. ⋯ Intervention patients reported a mean 3.35 (standard deviation [SD] = 14.7) increase in FACT-G scores from baseline to week 12 compared with usual care patients who reported a 0.12 (SD = 12.7) increase from baseline (p = 0.10). Conclusion: This study highlights the difficulties of conducting multicenter trials of supportive care interventions in patients with advanced cancer. Clinical Trials Registration: NCT02349412.
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Background: The experience of financial stress during and after critical illness for patients and their family is poorly understood. Objectives: Our objectives were to (1) explore common financial concerns, their contribution to emotional stress, and potential opportunities for interventions to reduce financial stress in patients with critical illness and their family members; and (2) confirm patient and family members' willingness to provide information on this topic. Design: Cross-sectional survey study. ⋯ Both patients and family believed that it would have been helpful to have information about insurance coverage, interpreting hospital bills, and estimated out-of-pocket costs. Among patients, 47% favored receiving these services after the ICU stay (7/15), while 20% (3/15) preferred these services in the ICU; 73% of family members preferred receiving them during the ICU stay (22/30), while 27% (8/30) preferred these services after the ICU stay. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the experience of financial stress and the worry it causes during and after critical illness are common and potentially modifiable with simple targeted interventions.
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Objectives: To identify patient perceptions of how and when palliative care (PC) could complement usual heart failure (HF) management. Background: Despite guidelines calling for the integration of PC into the management of HF, PC services remain underutilized by this population. Patient preferences regarding delivery of and triggers for PC are unknown. ⋯ Triggers for specialist PC focused on late-stage manifestations of disease such as loss of independence and absence of disease-directed therapies. Conclusions: Patients with HF demonstrated variable conceptions of PC and its relevance to their disease management. Although preferences for delivery model were based on a variety of logistical and relational factors, triggers for initiation remained focused on late-stage disease, suggesting that patients with HF may misconceive PC is an option of last resort.
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Background: Widespread community engagement in advance care planning (ACP) is needed to overcome barriers to ACP implementation. Objective: Develop, implement, and evaluate a model for community-based ACP in rural populations with low English language fluency and health care access using lay patient navigators. Design: A statewide initiative to improve ACP setting/subjects-trained in a group session approach, bilingual patient navigators facilitated 1-hour English and Spanish ACP sessions discussing concerns about choosing a surrogate decision maker and completing an advance directive (AD). ⋯ Thematic analysis of interviews with facilitators highlighted barriers to delivering an ACP community-based initiative, strategies used to build community buy-in and engagement, and ways success was measured. Conclusion: Patient navigators effectively engaged underserved and ethnically diverse rural populations in community-based settings. This model can be adapted to improve ACP in other underserved populations.
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Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized treatment for many patients with advanced cancer. Little is known about ICI use near the end of life. Objective: To describe ICI use near the end of life. Design: Retrospective study of patients who received ICIs and died. Setting/Subjects: Patients treated with ICIs who died between August 2014 and December 2018 (N = 441) at the University of Iowa. Measurements: Comparisons were made between patients who received ICIs ≤30 days versus patients who received ICIs >30 days before death. ⋯ They also had higher mean Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scores, more patients with ECOG ≥3, higher rates of dying in the hospital, and lower hospice enrollment. Patients treated with ICIs in the last 90 days of life received fewer doses, more often ≤3 total doses, had a higher mean ECOG score, more patients with ECOG ≥3, and lower hospice enrollment. $7.1 million USD was spent on ICI medications in the last 90 days of life. Conclusion: ICI use near the end of life is associated with poor performance status, lower hospice enrollment, dying in the hospital, financial toxicity, and minimal clinical benefit.