Timing of end-of-life care discussion with performance on end-of-life quality indicators in ovarian cancer

Abstract

Objectives(1) To describe the prevalence, timing and setting of documented end-of-life (EOL) discussions in patients with advanced ovarian cancer; and (2) to assess the impact of timing and setting of documented end-of-life discussions on EOL quality care measures. MethodsA retrospective study of women who died of ovarian cancer diagnosed between 1999 and 2008 was conducted. The following are the EOL quality measures assessed: chemotherapy in the last 14days of life, >1 hospitalization in the last 30days, >1 ER visit in the last 30days, intensive care unit (ICU) admission in the last 30days, dying in an acute care setting, admitted to hospice ≤3days. ResultsOne hundred seventy-seven (80%) patients had documented end-of-life discussions. Median interval from EOL discussion until death was 29days. Seventy-eight patients (44%) had EOL discussions as outpatient and 99 (56%) as inpatient. Sixty-four out of 220 (29%) patients' care did not conform to at least one EOL quality measure. An EOL discussion at least 30days before death was associated with a lower incidence of: chemotherapy in the last 14days of life (p=0.003), >1 hospitalization in the last 30days (p<0.001), ICU admission in the last 30days (p=0.005), dying in acute care setting (p=0.01), admitted to hospice ≤3days (p=0.02). EOL discussion as outpatient was associated with fewer patients hospitalized >1 in the last 30days of life (p<0.001). ConclusionsEnd-of-life care discussions are occurring too late in the disease process. Conformance with EOL quality measures can be achieved with earlier end-of-life care discussions.