Cost Of Palliative Care Research Articles

Costs of Palliative Care in Oncological and Non-Oncological Patients with Different Types of Ambulatory-Based Attention: Cost-Study Protocol.

Background: Ambulatory-based palliative care is vital to managing oncological and non-oncological patients. Its economic impact on the healthcare and social system has recently begun to be considered significant. It is essential to agree on the cost types, the methodology for approaching and analyzing these costs, and how to determine the burden imposed by this attention on the healthcare and social system. Aim: This study aims to design a study on the economic burden of palliative care (PC) in oncological and non-oncological pathologies in the context of outpatient care (ambulatory-based and home support teams). Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study on the economic burden of ambulatory-based palliative care (ABPC) in three phases is conducted. Phase I: A systematic literature review (SLR) first defines the methodology and data to acquire for costing (results already published). Phase II: The next phase is the piloting of the registration questionnaires for costs/expenses (results already analyzed and presented). Phase III: A cross-sectional study is being conducted to collect data on the direct and indirect costs of ABPC assumed by the healthcare system and patients/caregivers to estimate its economic and social burden (in progress). Discussion: In this study, we create and propose a methodology and extend the approach to the funding of PC in an ambulatory-based context to determine its social cost and provide stakeholders with more information to assign resources more efficiently.

Cost-effectiveness of durvalumab plus tremelimumab in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer from the US healthcare sector's and societal perspectives.

Metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) has a high incidence rate, and economic burdens to patients, healthcare systems, and societies. Durvalumab plus tremelimumab and chemotherapy (T+D+CT) is a novel therapeutic strategy for mNSCLC, which demonstrated promising efficacy in a phase-3 randomized clinical trial, but its economic value remains unclear. This economic evaluation used a hypothetical cohort of patients with mNSCLC, with characteristics mirroring those of the participants in the POSEIDON trial. Several partitioned survival models were constructed to estimate 15-year costs and health outcomes associated with the T+D+CT, durvalumab plus chemotherapy (D+CT) and chemotherapy alone (CT) strategies, discounting costs and effectiveness at 3% annually. Costs were in 2023 US dollars. Data were derived from the POSEIDON trial and published literature. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the uncertainty of input parameters and study generalizability. The analysis was designed and conducted from September 2022 to March 2023. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of T+D+CT, compared with CT and D+CT, for mNSCLC from the perspectives of the US healthcare sector and society. From the healthcare sector's perspective, the T+D+CT yielded an additional 0.09 QALYs at an increased cost of $7,108 compared with CT, which resulted in an ICER of $82,501/QALY. The T+D+CT strategy yielded an additional 0.02 QALYs at an increased cost of $27,779 compared with the D+CT, which resulted in an ICER of $1,243,868/QALY. The economic results of T+D+CT vs. CT were most sensitive to the annual discount rate, subsequent immunotherapy cost, tremelimumab cost, palliative care and death cost, pemetrexed cost, and durvalumab cost. The T+D+CT strategy was considered cost-effective relative to CT in 59%-82% of model iterations against willingness-to-pay. thresholds of $100,000/QALY gained to $150,000/QALY gained. From the societal perspective, the T+D+CT can be considered as cost-effective as compared with CT or D+CT, independent of histology. In this cost-effectiveness analysis, the T+D+CT strategy represented good value compared with CT for patients with mNSCLC from the perspectives of the healthcare sector and the society. This treatment strategy may be prioritized for mNSCLC patients at high risks of disease progression.

Epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the Krasnoyarsk region

Background. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes paralysis of muscles due to degeneration of motor neurons. According to available data, the incidence of ALS in different regions of the world is from 0.6 to 3.8 per 100,000 population per year. Data obtained during the study of the epidemiology of ALS at the regional level can be used in planning medical resources, in particular, calculating the necessary respiratory equipment and funds for nutritional support.Aim. Clinical and epidemiological analysis of ALS cases registered in the Krasnoyarsk region for the period 2018–2022.Materials and methods. A clinical and epidemiological analysis of ALS cases registered in the Krasnoyarsk region from 2018 to 2022 was conducted. To do this, we used data from the specialized office of neuromuscular pathology of the Regional Clinical Hospital in Krasnoyarsk and the Krasnoyarsk Regional Medical Information and Analytical Center. Diagnosis verification was carried out in accordance with the generally accepted El Escorial and Gold Coast criteria. The functional state and degree of neurological deficit were assessed using the ALS-FRS-R scale.Results. Over the period from 2018 to 2022, 78 cases of ALS were registered. The incidence rate was 0.54 cases per 100,000 population per year. In 2022, the prevalence rate was 1.16 cases per 100 thousand population. The time from symptom onset to diagnosis of the disease ranged from 4 to 57 months, with the average time to diagnosis being 17 months. Most patients were diagnosed with ALS when their ALS-FRS-R score decreased by 7–11 points. The division of patients into groups of rapid, moderate, and slow diagnostic correlates with life expectancy. Patients who are diagnosed quickly have a higher rate of disease progression, which results in a low life expectancy.Conclusion. The creation of specialized centers will improve the diagnosis and management of patients with ALS and plan the costs of palliative care. The increase in the incidence and detection of ALS emphasizes the need to develop new approaches to the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with ALS.

Palliative care need in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and human resource requirements for effective response.

Integration of palliative care into health care systems is considered an ethical responsibility, yet no country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EaMReg) has achieved integration. Data on palliative care need and cost are crucial forEaMReg health care planners and implementers in the region. Using data from the Lancet Commission on Palliative Care and Pain Relief, we estimated the number of people in each EaMReg country who needed palliative care in 2015 and their degree of access. In three countries, we estimated the number of days during which an encounter for palliative care was needed at each level of the health care system. This enabled calculation of the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) of clinical and non-clinical staff members needed at each level to administer the essential package of palliative care recommended by WHO. In 2015, 3.2 million people in the EaMReg needed palliative care, yet most lacked access to it. The most common types of suffering were pain, fatigue, weakness, anxiety or worry, and depressed mood. To provide safe, effective palliative care at all levels of health care systems, between 5.4 and 11.1 FTEs of trained and supervised community health workers per 100,000 population would be needed in addition to 1.0-1.9 FTEs of doctors, 2.2-4.3 FTEs of nurses, and 1.4-2.9 FTEs of social workers. Data from our study enables design of palliative care services to meet the specific needs of each EaMReg country and to calculate the cost or cost savings.

Specialist Palliative Care and Health Care Costs at the End of Life.

The use and costs of health care rise substantially in the months prior to death, and although the use of palliative care services may be expected to lead to less costly care, the evidence is mixed. We analysed the costs of care over the last year of life and the extent to which these are associated with the use and duration of specialist palliative care (SPC) for decedents who died from cancer or another life-limiting illness. The decedents were participants in a cohort study of older residents of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Using linked survey and administrative health data from 2007 to 2016, two cohorts were identified: n = 10,535 where the cause of death was cancer; and n = 11,179 where the cause of death was another life-limiting illness. Costs of various types were analysed with separate risk-adjusted linear regression models for the last 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months before death and for both cohorts. SPC was categorised according to time to death from first contact with the service as 1-7 days, 7-30 days, 30-180 days and more than 180 days. SPC use was higher among the cancer cohort (30.0%) relative to the non-cancer cohort (4.8%). The mean costs over the final year of life were AU$55,037 (SD 45,059) for the cancer cohort and AU$35,318 (SD 41,948) for the non-cancer cohort. Earlier use of SPC was associated with higher costs over the last year of life but lower costs in the last 1 and 3 months for both cohorts. Initiating SPC use more than 180 days before death was associated with a mean difference relative to the no SPC group of AU$15,590 (95% CI 10,617 to 20,562) and AU$13,739 (95% CI 733 to 26,746) over the last year of life for those dying from cancer and another illness, respectively. The same differences over the last month of life were - AU$2810 (95% CI - 3945 to - 1676) and - AU$4345 (95% CI - 6625 to - 2066). Admitted hospital care was the major driver of costs, with longer SPC associated with lower rates of death in hospital for both cohorts. Early initiation of SPC was associated with higher costs over the last year of life and lower costs over the last months of life. This was the case for both the cancer and non-cancer cohorts, and appeared to be largely attributed to reduced hospitalisation. Although further investigation is required, our results suggest that expanding the availability of SPC services to provide more equitable access could enable patients to spend more time at their usual place of residence, reduce pressure on inpatient services and facilitate death at home when that is preferred.

Euthanasia Legislation in Canada: Efficiency and Equity

In 2016, Canada passed Bill C-14 to legalize Medical Aid in Dying (MAID, hereinafter translated as euthanasia); in 2021, Canada passed Bill C-7, allowing a wider group of people to be eligible to apply for and accept euthanasia, this sparked controversy. Meanwhile, euthanasia will account for 3.3 percent of Canadian deaths in 2021. This paper uses the method of collecting official data for data analysis and comparative analysis to study Canadas euthanasia policy. Palliative care costs a lot in Canada, which may have an impact on the governments decision-making in terms of finances, but there is no absolute evidence that the Canadian government legislates for euthanasia to save medical expenses.

Capturing the True Cost of Breast Cancer Treatment: Molecular Subtype and Stage-Specific per-Case Activity-Based Costing.

Breast cancer (BC) treatment is rapidly evolving with new and costly therapeutics. Existing costing models have a limited ability to capture current treatment costs. We used an Activity-Based Costing (ABC) method to determine a per-case cost for BC treatment by stage and molecular subtype. ABC was used to proportionally integrate multidisciplinary evidence-based patient and provider treatment options for BC, yielding a per-case cost for the total duration of treatment by stage and molecular subtype. Diagnostic imaging, pathology, surgery, radiation therapy, systemic therapy, inpatient, emergency, home care and palliative care costs were included. BC treatment costs were higher than noted in previous studies and varied widely by molecular subtype. Cost increased exponentially with the stage of disease. The per-case cost for treatment (2023C$) for DCIS was C$ 14,505, and the mean costs for all subtypes were C$ 39,263, C$ 76,446, C$ 97,668 and C$ 370,398 for stage I, II, III and IV BC, respectively. Stage IV costs were as high as C$ 516,415 per case. When weighted by the proportion of molecular subtype in the population, case costs were C$ 31,749, C$ 66,758, C$ 111,368 and C$ 289,598 for stage I, II, III and IV BC, respectively. The magnitude of cost differential was up to 10.9 times for stage IV compared to stage I, 4.4 times for stage III compared to stage I and 35.6 times for stage IV compared to DCIS. The cost of BC treatment is rapidly escalating with novel therapies and increasing survival, resulting in an exponential increase in treatment costs for later-stage disease. We provide real-time, case-based costing for BC treatment which will allow for the assessment of health system economic impacts and an accurate understanding of the cost-effectiveness of screening.

Healthcare Costs at the End of Life for Patients with Non-cancer Diseases and Cancer in Denmark.

To examine costs of care from a healthcare sector perspective within 1year before death in patients with non-cancer diseases and patients with cancer. This nationwide registry-based study identified all Danish citizens dying from major non-cancer diseases or cancer in 2010-2016. Applying the cost-of-illness method, we included costs of somatic hospitals, including hospital-based specialist palliative care, primary care, prescription medicine and hospice expressed in 2022 euros. Costs of patients with non-cancer diseases and cancer were compared using regression analyses adjusting for sex, age, comorbidity, residential region, marital/cohabitation status and income level. Within 1year before death, mean total healthcare costs were €27,185 [95% confidence interval (CI) €26,970-27,401] per patient with non-cancer disease (n=109,723) and €51,348 (95% CI €51,098-51,597) per patient with cancer (n=108,889). The adjusted relative total healthcare costs, i.e. the ratio of the mean costs, of patients with non-cancer diseases was 0.64 (95% CI 0.63-0.66) at 12months before death and 0.91 (95% CI 0.90-0.92) within 30days before death compared with patients with cancer. Mean costs of hospital-based specialist palliative care and hospice in the year leading up to death were €17 (95% CI €13-20) and €90 (95% CI €77-102) per patient with non-cancer disease but €1552 (95% CI €1506-1598) and €3411 (95% CI €3342-3480) per patient with cancer. Within 1year before death, total healthcare costs, mainly driven by hospital costs, were substantially lower for patients with non-cancer diseases compared with patients with cancer. Moreover, the costs of hospital-based specialist palliative care and hospice were minimal for patients with non-cancer diseases.

Ergebnisqualität und Kosten der allgemeinen und spezialisierten Palliativversorgung in Deutschland im regionalen Vergleich: eine GKV-Routinedatenstudie

ZusammenfassungHintergrundWesentliche Rahmenbedingungen für Palliativversorgung (PV) werden auf regionaler Ebene gesetzt. Der Umfang zum Einsatz kommender Versorgungsformen (ambulant, stationär, allgemein, spezialisiert) variiert regional stark. Welche Ergebnisqualität zu welchen Kosten wird mit der in einer KV-Region (Kassenärztliche Vereinigung) angebotenen PV erreicht?MethodenRetrospektive Beobachtungsstudie mit BARMER-Routinedaten von 145.372 im Zeitraum 2016–2019 Verstorbenen mit PV im letzten Lebensjahr. Vergleich der KV-Regionen hinsichtlich folgender Outcomes: Anteil palliativ versorgter Menschen, die im Krankenhaus verstarben, potenziell belastende Versorgung in den letzten 30 Lebenstagen (Rettungsdiensteinsätze, [intensivmedizinische] Krankenhausaufenthalte, Chemotherapien, Anlage/Wechsel einer PEG-Sonde, parenterale Ernährung), Gesamtversorgungskosten der letzten 3 Lebensmonate, Kosten der PV(‑Formen) des letzten Lebensjahres, Kosten-Effektivitäts-Relationen sowie Patienten‑/Wohnkreismerkmals-adjustierte Kennzahlen.ErgebnisseDie KV-Regionen variierten hinsichtlich der Outcomes (auch adjustiert) der PV deutlich. Über alle Outcomes aggregiert wies Westfalen-Lippe bessere Ergebnisse auf. Die PV-Kosten variierten ebenfalls stark, am stärksten bei spezialisierter ambulanter PV (SAPV). Die günstigste Kosten-Effektivitäts-Relation von Gesamtversorgungskosten zur Sterberate in der Häuslichkeit wies Westfalen-Lippe auf.FazitRegionen mit besserer Ergebnisqualität und günstigerer Kosten-Effektivität können Orientierung für andere Regionen bieten. Es sollte überprüft werden, inwieweit der neue SAPV-Bundesrahmenvertrag die empirischen Erkenntnisse aufgreifen kann. Patientenrelevanten Outcomes sollte stärkeres Gewicht gegeben werden als Parametern, die auf Versorgungsstrukturen abzielen.

Evaluating the cost-utility of intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin versus radical cystectomy in patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the UK

AimsApproximately 75% of bladder cancer (BC) cases present as non-muscle-invasive BC (NMIBC). In patients with high-risk NMIBC, the mainstay treatment is intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), with immediate radical cystectomy (RC) as an alternative treatment option. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cost-utility of BCG versus RC in patients with high-risk NMIBC from the UK healthcare payer perspective.Materials and methodsA six-state Markov model was developed that covered controlled disease, recurrence, progression to muscle-invasive BC, metastatic disease, and death. The model included adverse events of BCG and RC and monitoring and palliative care. Drug costs were obtained from the British National Formulary. Intravesical delivery, RC, and monitoring costs were sourced from the National Tariff Payment System and the literature. Utility data were obtained from the literature. Analyses were run over a 30-year time horizon, with future costs and effects discounted at 3.5% per annum. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.ResultsThe base case analysis comparing BCG with RC showed that BCG would increase life expectancy by 0.88 years versus RC, from 7.74 to 8.62 years. BCG resulted in an increase of 0.76 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) versus RC, from 5.63 to 6.39 QALYs. Patients incurred lower lifetime costs if treated with BCG (£47,753) than with RC (£64,264). Cost savings were mainly driven by the lower cost of BCG versus RC, and palliative care costs. Sensitivity analyses showed that results were robust to assumptions.LimitationsThe evidence base informing efficacy estimates of BCG is heterogeneous as different BCG administration schedules were reported in the literature, while incidence and cost data on some BCG-associated adverse events were sparse.ConclusionsIntravesical BCG led to increased QALYs and reduced costs versus RC for patients with high-risk NMIBC from the UK healthcare payer perspective.

Economic burden of acute myeloid leukemia on patients in a resource-limited tertiary hospital in the Philippines

IntroductionThe remission induction treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has remained unchanged in the resource-limited setting in the Philippines. AML treatment consists of induction chemotherapy followed by high dose consolidation chemotherapy or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In the Philippines, the Filipino household bears the burden of health care cost of hospitalization expenditure. Insights into the treatment costs becomes an essential requirement as these guides the allocation of resources to scheme health programs. MethodThis study involved a retrospective cohort analysis of AML patients who underwent treatment for AML. Review of the statements of account per admission per patient during treatment for remission induction, consolidation, relapsed and refractory disease and best supportive care from 2017 to 2019. Of the 251 eligible patients, 190 patients were included. ResultThe mean healthcare expenditure for remission induction chemotherapy (Phase 1) was US $2, 504.78 (Php 125,239.29). While 3 to 4 cycles of consolidation chemotherapy cost an average of US $3,222.72 (Php 162,103.20). For patients who had relapsed and refractory disease, an additional mean cost of US $3,163.32 (Php 159,115.28) and US $2, 914.72 (Php 146,610.55) were incurred, respectively. The average cost of palliative care was US $1,687.00 (Php 84,856.59). ConclusionThe cost of chemotherapy and other therapeutics bear most of the weight of the direct healthcare cost. The cost of AML treatment represents a significant economic burden for patients and the institution. The cost increases as patients proceed through subsequent lines of treatment for induction failure. Existing subsidy for health insurance benefits could still be improved for appropriate source allocation of resources.

Early palliative care consultation offsets hospitalization duration and costs for elderly patients with traumatic brain injuries: Insights from a Level 1 trauma center

We identified factors and outcomes associated with inpatient palliative care (PC) consultation, stratified into early and late timing, for patients over age 65 with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Patients over age 65 presenting to a single institution with TBI and intracranial hemorrhage from January 2013-September 2020 were included. Patient demographics and various outcomes were analyzed. Inpatient PC consultation was uncommon (4 % out of 576 patients). Characteristics associated with likelihood of consultation were severe TBI (OR = 5.030, 95 % CI 1.096–23.082, p =.038) and pre-existing dementia (OR = 6.577, 95 % CI 1.726–25.073, p =.006). Average consultation timing was 8.6 (standard deviation ± 7.0) days. Patients with PC consults had longer overall (p =.0031) and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stays (LOS) (p <.0001), more days intubated (p <.0001) and higher costs (p =.0006), although those with earlier-than-average PC consultation had shorter overall (p =.0062) and ICU (p =.011) LOS as well as fewer ventilator days (p =.030) and lower costs (p =.0003). Older patients with TBI are more likely to receive PC based on pre-existing dementia and severe TBI. Patients with PC consultations had worse LOS and higher costs. However, these effects were mitigated by earlier PC involvement. Our study emphasizes the need for timely PC consultation in a vulnerable patient population.

Comparative Analysis on Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases on Catastrophic Spending and Impoverishment in Tanzania.

The question of whether communicable or non-communicable diseases have higher economic effects on households is rarely explored from the global to local level despite of their significant contribution in increasing household catastrophic spending and impoverishment. To shed light into this, therefore, this paper comparatively examines the economic effects of communicable and non-communicable diseases in Tanzania by the use of Tanzania Panel Survey data of 2019/2020 which has been used to analyze different parameters to provide needful information. The empirical analysis employed probit, two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI), and control function approachf (CFA) helpful in controlling endogeneity issues. Findings showed that, comparatively, non-communicable diseases have higher economic effects in endangering households into catastrophic spending and impoverishment comparing to communicable diseases. Conclusively, neglecting developing countries to fights against multiplicative effects of these diseases alone will result in killing their economies since most of these countries depend on donors and household as a means of healthcare financing. However, this paper recommends for global initiatives in reducing the burden of disease by funding on palliative care costs and enhancing the availability of affordable health insurance schemes to reduce household economic burden.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Tobacco Cessation Counselling among Dental Professionals in Maharashtra- An Opportunity for Health Promotion

Background: Patients can have a better prognosis and quality of life if tobacco-related lesions in the oral cavity are detected early. These oral symptoms can be identified and isolated with the aid of a dental check-up. Tobacco use habits can be intervened in and tobacco cessation counselling can be provided by trained oral health specialists. Hence the aim of the present study was to assess knowledge, attitude, and behaviour of dental professionals towards tobacco cessation counselling for tobacco users in Maharashtra, India. Methodology: A self- administered questionnaire-based survey was sent to members of Indian Dental Association (IDA) through email. The results were analysed using statistical programme SPSS 25.0 software. Results: 78% of the participants had not undergone tobacco counselling training. 83% of participants had not been trained to give psychological support to patients who were attempting to quit smoking. Nicotine Replacement Therapy was mentioned by 86% of those polled. To a large extent, 54% of participants think it is their obligation to give cigarette cessation counselling. Only 33% of participants felt confidence in their abilities to provide appropriate smoke cessation advice. Only 38% of participants were hopeful about their patients’ abilities to quit smoking. 38% of participants inquire about their patients’ tobacco usage, and 18% provide extensive tobacco cessation counselling. Conclusion: Tobacco intervention by dentists is an excellent strategy to lower the cost of tobacco-related curative and palliative care. As a result, more dentists should provide their patients tobacco cessation counselling. Dental health practitioners should receive comprehensive training in these treatments so that they can deliver appropriate services to tobacco users.

Palliative Care Consultation and Cost of Stay in out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest.

Background: Cardiac arrest is a critical condition with high clinical, economic, and emotional burden. The role of palliative medicine in the management of critical patients has grown and, in some areas, has shown reduced cost of stay. This study set out to examine the association of palliative care involvement in out of hospital post cardiac arrest patients and cost of stay. Methods: This is a single center retrospective analysis of all patients ≥18 years of age who were admitted at our institution from March 2018 to June 2019 with out of hospital cardiac arrest. Patients who immediately died in the emergency department were excluded. Patients were then classified according to whether palliative care was consulted. Total charges were obtained from the billing records and compared between those with palliative care compared to those without using Mann-Whitney U test. Results: A final sample of 98 patients that were included in the analysis. The mean age was 61.2 ± 17.3, 46% were female, and 61% were African American. Palliative care consultation was present in 27 (28%) of patients. There were no significant differences among age, gender, ethnicity, BMI, SOFA scores, and common comorbidities among those who did and did not have palliative care consultation. While there was a significantly longer ICU length of stay and mechanical ventilation days among patients with palliative care involvement P < .0001, the charges among patients with palliative care involvement were not statistically significantly different $59,245 ($3744-148,492) (median IQR) compared to those without palliative care $79,521 ($6540-157,952) P = .762. Conclusion: Length of stay increased with palliative care consultation which may relate more to the inherent clinical scenario. Cost of stay was not statistically significantly different.

Early integrated palliative care in patients newly diagnosed with cancer in Ethiopia: a randomised controlled trial and cost–consequence analysis

BackgroundDeaths due to non-communicable diseases are rising worldwide, with low-income and middle- income countries (LMICs) particularly affected. Palliative care can reduce pain and suffering for patients with incurable disease. A gap in access to palliative care and research to support its implementation exists in LMICs, and cancer care is a particularly problematic area. We designed a pragmatic study to better understand the implementation of home-based palliative care, patient-reported outcomes, costs, and consequences in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. MethodsA single-blind, single-site, randomised, controlled trial of standard cancer care versus standard cancer care plus early integrated palliative care in patients newly diagnosed with cancer was performed at the Black Lion Outpatient Oncology Clinic (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia). The palliative care intervention was home-based and delivered by Hospice Ethiopia nurses. Follow-up was done at 4–12 weeks and at 8–16 weeks at the discretion of the oncologist. Sample size was determined by ability to detect a change in mean African Palliative Care Association Palliative Outcome Score. A cost–consequence analysis was done for patients who completed all three study visits. Ethical approval was granted by Addis Ababa University and Yale University. All participants signed or thumb-printed written informed consent. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03712436. Findings98 adults were enrolled. The mean age was 49·5 years and 66% of participants were women. 27 participants completed all three study visits. Significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes were seen (p=0·0025). Mean total health-care costs to the patient were Ethiopian birr (ETD) 40 430 (US$979); mean palliative care costs to Hospice Ethiopia were ETD 765 ($19) per patient. Those receiving standard cancer care reported higher out-of-pocket payments for medical care and increased lost wages of an informal caregiver. Out-of-pocket payments for medical care and lost wages were multiple times higher than an average yearly salary (ETD 5810 [$141] and ETD 74900 birr [$1814·9] respectively). By the end of study, health-care costs, health-use, and mortality had all increased. InterpretationDelivery and integration of early, home-based, and low-cost palliative care into cancer care is possible in a LMIC setting. Widespread implementation of palliative care is likely to be a resource-sparing and poverty-reducing strategy in LMICs. FundingDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Yale University.

Awareness and Perceptions of Palliative Care Among the Elderly: A Qualitative Study.

Objectives: With the rapidly aging population worldwide, the demand for palliative care is increasing. Palliative care publicity and education must be further developed globally, especially for the elderly. It is essential to perform targeted promotion by understanding the awareness and needs of palliative care of the elderly. This study aimed to investigate elderly people's awareness of palliative care and their own views on and needs for palliative care, which could provide a basis for the popularization of palliative care among them. Methods: A total of 20 elderly people were recruited to participate in the semi-structured, and in-depth interviews. Participants were from communities and nursing homes in Chongqing, China. The interview transcripts were coded using the method of thematic analysis. Results: Finally, 4 themes and 10 subthemes were identified, that is: unawareness of the concept of palliative care (never heard of palliative care, confusion between euthanasia and palliative care), motivations for accepting palliative care (personal perspective: less suffering; family perspective: relieving the burden), factors influencing palliative care decision (cost of palliative care, knowledge of palliative care, opinion of decision-making agents), and necessity and preferences for publicizing palliative care (eagerness to know more about palliative care, focusing on policy and charges, preference for Electronic Media Advertising). Conclusions: Palliative care publicity among the elderly is important and necessary. Findings in this study could provide some insights into how to popularize palliative care among the elderly. Considering the preference of the elderly for access to palliative care information, simultaneous publicity through TV and online channels is suggested. Since the elderly would like to choose their doctors and adult children as decision-making agents, more communication between community, health professionals and family is advocated.

Palliative care and catastrophic costs in Malawi after a diagnosis of advanced cancer: a prospective cohort study

SummaryBackgroundInclusive universal health coverage requires access to quality health care without financial barriers. Receipt of palliative care after advanced cancer diagnosis might reduce household poverty, but evidence from low-income and middle-income settings is sparse.MethodsIn this prospective study, the primary objective was to investigate total household costs of cancer-related health care after a diagnosis of advanced cancer, with and without the receipt of palliative care. Households comprising patients and their unpaid family caregiver were recruited into a cohort study at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Malawi, between Jan 16 and July 31, 2019. Costs of cancer-related health-care use (including palliative care) and health-related quality-of-life were recorded over 6 months. Regression analysis explored associations between receipt of palliative care and total household costs on health care as a proportion of household income. Catastrophic costs, defined as 20% or more of total household income, sale of assets and loans taken out (dissaving), and their association with palliative care were computed.FindingsWe recruited 150 households. At 6 months, data from 89 (59%) of 150 households were available, comprising 89 patients (median age 50 years, 79% female) and 64 caregivers (median age 40 years, 73% female). Patients in 55 (37%) of the 150 households died and six (4%) were lost to follow-up. 19 (21%) of 89 households received palliative care. Catastrophic costs were experienced by nine (47%) of 19 households who received palliative care versus 48 (69%) of 70 households who did not (relative risk 0·69, 95% CI 0·42 to 1·14, p=0·109). Palliative care was associated with substantially reduced dissaving (median US$11, IQR 0 to 30 vs $34, 14 to 75; p=0·005). The mean difference in total household costs on cancer-related health care with receipt of palliative care was −36% (95% CI −94 to 594; p=0·707).InterpretationVulnerable households in low-income countries are subject to catastrophic health-related costs following a diagnosis of advanced cancer. Palliative care might result in reduced dissaving in these households. Further consideration of the economic benefits of palliative care is justified.FundingWellcome Trust; National Institute for Health Research; and EMMS International.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of first-line treatment with crizotinib in ROS1-rearranged advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Canada

IntroductionWhile no direct comparative data exist for crizotinib in ROS1+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), studies have suggested clinical benefit with this targeted agent. The objective of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of crizotinib compared to standard platinum-doublet chemotherapy for first-line treatment of ROS1+ advanced NSCLC.MethodsA Markov model was developed with a 10-year time horizon from the perspective of the Canadian publicly-funded health care system. Health states included progression-free survival (PFS), up to two further lines of therapy post-progression, palliation and death. Given a lack of comparative data and small study samples, crizotinib or chemotherapy studies with advanced ROS1+ NSCLC patients were identified and time-to-event data from digitized Kaplan-Meier curves were collected to pool PFS data. Costs of drugs, treatment administration, monitoring, adverse events and palliative care were included in 2018 Canadian dollars, with 1.5% discounting. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was estimated probabilistically using 5000 simulations.ResultsIn the base-case probabilistic analysis, crizotinib produced additional 0.885 life-years and 0.772 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) at an incremental cost of $238,077, producing an ICER of $273,286/QALY gained. No simulations were found to be cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/QALY gained. A scenario analysis assuming efficacy equivalent to the ALK+ NSCLC population showed a slightly more favorable cost-effectiveness profile for crizotinib.ConclusionsAvailable data appear to support superior activity of crizotinib compared to chemotherapy in ROS1+ advanced NSCLC. At the list price, crizotinib was not cost-effective at commonly accepted willingness-to-pay thresholds across a wide range of sensitivity analyses.

Associations between Reason for Inpatient Palliative Care Consultation, Timing, and Cost Savings.

Background: Specialty palliative care (SPC) provides patient-centered care to people with serious illness and may reduce costs. Specific cost-saving functions of SPC remain unclear. Objectives: (1) To assess the effect of SPC on inpatient costs and length of stay (LOS) and (2) to evaluate differences in costs by indication and timing of SPC. Design: Case-control with in patients who received an SPC consultation and propensity matched controls. Setting: One large U.S. integrated delivery finance system. Measurements: Using administrative data, we assessed costs associated with inpatient stays, a subset of whom received an SPC consultation. Consultations were stratified by reasons based on physician discretion: goals of care, pain management, hospice evaluation, nonpain symptom management, or support. The primary outcome was total operating costs and the secondary outcome was hospital LOS. Results: In total, 1404 patients with SPC consultations associated with unique hospital encounters were matched with 2806 controls. Total operating costs were lower for patients who received an SPC consultation when the consultation was within 0 to 1 days of admission ($6,924 vs. $7,635, p = 0.002). Likewise, LOS was shorter (4.3 vs. 4.7 days, p < 0.001). Upon stratification by reason, goals-of-care consultations early in the hospital stay (days 0-1) were associated with reduced total operating costs ($7,205 vs. $8,677, p < 0.001). Costs were higher for pain management consultations ($7,727 vs. $6,914, p = 0.047). Consultation for hospice evaluation was associated with lower costs, particularly when early (hospital days 0-1: $4,125 vs. $7,415, p < 0.001). Conclusions: SPC was associated with significant cost saving and decreased LOS when occurring early in a hospitalization and used for goals-of-care and hospice evaluation.