Impact of an inpatient palliative consultation in terminally ill cancer patients.

Abstract

77 Background: Terminally ill cancer patients have complex medical and psychosocial needs at the end of life. Given these complexities, limited data is available to suggest the appropriate timing of palliative care involvement in the treatment of cancer. Our study aims to describe the referral patterns of inpatient palliative care consultations in advanced cancer patients in a tertiary care center. Methods: A retrospective review was performed. Inpatient palliative consultation was obtained in cancer patients from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. Descriptive statistics are used in data analysis. Results: Inpatient palliative care consults (IPCC) were obtained for 245 cancer patients admitted to Saint Louis University Hospital. Of the 245, 130 were male (53.06%), 115 were female (46.93%), 128 were White (52.24%), and 114 were Black (46.53%). Newly diagnosed patients with cancer during the current admission were 79(32.24%). 57 (23.26%) patients were admitted to the Intensive care unit during hospitalization. A total of 39(15.91%) patients died in the hospital; among those who died in the hospital 34 had ICU stay during the hospitalization or died in the ICU (87%). Malignancies most common were lung 71(28.97%) followed by pancreatic-biliary 33(13.4%), lymphoma and leukemia 22(8.9%), hepatocellular carcinoma 18(7.34%), head and neck 16 (6.5%), and upper GI 16 (6.5%). Disposition at discharge included home hospice 67 (28.3%), hospice in facility 27(11%), home without hospice 71(28.9%), facility without hospice 39(15.9%). Conclusions: According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization as of 2013, 7.0% hospice patients die in acute care hospitals. Our data shows 15.9% who received IPCC died in the hospital with 87% dying in ICU. This is likely due to delays in the initiation of palliative care consultation as outpatient leading to increase strain on tertiary referral centers. In another study 22% of eligible Black patients received IPCC. Our rate of IPCC in Blacks was 46.5%. This highlights the disparity in access to outpatient palliative care in this population. Future efforts should be made to promote early outpatient palliative services to reduce ICU admissions, hospital re-admissions and healthcare costs.