Inpatient Chemotherapy Research Articles

Quality improvement project to reduce inpatient chemotherapy usage on a solid tumor oncology service.

333 Background: Inpatient chemotherapy is not routinely recommended for patients with solid tumors as administration is associated with increased length of stay (LOS), higher healthcare costs, and higher morbidity; and chemotherapy administration within 14 days of death is considered poor quality care. However, inpatient chemotherapy may sometimes be indicated for toxicity monitoring or due to barriers that limit prompt delivery of medications with clinically meaningful benefit. To ensure judicious use of inpatient chemotherapy we are undertaking iterative Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles involving education and policy initiatives on a solid tumor oncology service at an urban, academic medical center. Methods: PDSA cycles followed standard methodology. The initial goal was to reduce inappropriate inpatient chemotherapy use, which was expected to correspond with a 25% overall reduction. The initial intervention consisted of two main components: 1) division-wide education about the indications for inpatient chemotherapy, and 2) formation of a committee to review all chemotherapy requests for adult inpatients with solid tumors. The committee consists of clinicians within division leadership, including the division chief and representatives from operations, quality and safety, and ethics. Requests are sent from inpatient teams to the committee, who review each case for factors supporting inpatient treatment such as patient stability/performance status, clinically meaningful benefit, and practical barriers to outpatient administration. To evaluate the impact of the intervention, data were extracted from the electronic medical record for all patients admitted to the service for the 8.5 months before (12/1/22-8/15/23) and after (8/16/23-4/30/24) the initiation of the first PDSA cycle. Results: At baseline, prior to PDSA cycle 1, there were 930 admissions (n=606 patients), and 111 (11.9%, n=82 patients) received inpatient chemotherapy. During PDSA cycle 1 there were 889 admissions (n=557 patients), and 57 (6.4%, n=35 patients) received inpatient chemotherapy (p<0.001). There was no significant change in the proportion of patients receiving chemotherapy within 14 days or 30 days of death pre-PDSA cycle and post, 7.5% vs. 6.6% within 14 days of death (p>0.9), and 13.1% vs. 11.5% within 30 days of death (p>0.9). Overall, mean LOS for all admissions decreased from 11.1 days to 8.8 days (p<0.001). Conclusions: Preliminary results of this quality improvement initiative using iterative PDSA cycles to optimize inpatient chemotherapy use suggest a benefit. After the first PDSA cycle, there was a 46.3% decrease in the proportion of admissions receiving inpatient chemotherapy, and an overall decrease in LOS. Future PDSA cycles are aimed at limiting end-of-life chemotherapy and streamlining the transition from inpatient to outpatient chemotherapy to reduce delays and improve the patient experience.

The impact of admitting ward on resource utilization and outcomes among hospitalized cancer survivors.

36 Background: With improvements in both early detection and cancer treatment, there is a growing population of cancer survivors; with a corresponding increase in acute care use. However, models of inpatient care delivery for cancer survivors differ between hospitals and regions, which may impact resource use and outcomes. Understanding how different models influence outcomes may help define optimal models for cancer inpatient care delivery. Methods: We created a multicenter cohort of all cancer patients admitted to medical wards across 26 hospitals in Ontario, Canada from 2015 to 2022, and deterministically linked population level administrative data including ambulatory oncology data, with each hospital’s patient-level electronic information (pharmacy, orders, notes, labs/imaging and results). Multivariable regression models compared characteristics and outcomes between patients admitted on oncology wards vs non-oncology wards adjusting for age, sex, income quintile, rurality, immigrant status, receiving IV systemic therapy within 120 days and comorbidity scores. Results: In total, there were 370,118 hospitalizations from 191,990 unique patients. Among these hospitalizations, 38,075 episodes (10%) were on an oncology ward. Median time from cancer diagnosis to hospitalization was 4 years; 10% received IV systemic therapy within 120 days and 16% within 1 year. The most common disease sites were GU (21%), GI (20%), breast (12%) and lung (10%). The most common discharge diagnoses from oncology wards were inpatient chemotherapy (9%), febrile neutropenia (7%), NHL (4%), AML (4%), myeloma (3%); while for non-oncology wards were heart failure (5%), palliative care (4%), UTI (2%), pneumonia (2%), acute renal failure (2%). In general, cancer patients admitted on oncology wards were younger (64 vs 76), had shorter length of stay (LOS; 9.6 vs 10.1 days), less in-hospital mortality (8% vs 11%), greater 30-day re-admission rates (30% vs 15%) and were more likely to undergo CTs (28% vs 21%), MRIs (11% vs 9%) and interventional procedures (8% vs 6%) (p<0.001, all). Subgroup analysis focusing on the top 5 discharge diagnoses from non-oncology wards, showed that despite no difference in in-hospital mortality rates (aOR 0.92 95% CI [0.58-1.46] p=0.73), admission to a non-oncology ward for those diagnoses was associated with shorter LOS (aOR 0.84 [0.78-0.90] p<0.001), reduced 30-day re-admission rates (aOR 0.60 [0.48-0.75] p<0.001), and reduced use of CTs (aOR 0.60 [0.49-0.74] p<0.001), MRIs (aOR 0.36 [0.25-0.52] p<0.001), and interventional procedures (aOR 0.43 [0.29-0.64] p<0.001). Conclusions: There are differences in resource use and outcomes for cancer survivors hospitalized on oncology versus non-oncology wards, including for patients with the same discharge diagnosis. To optimize inpatient cancer care delivery for hospitalized cancer survivors, further exploration of care models is needed.

EP.13B.09 Outcomes of Inpatient Chemotherapy for Patients with Newly Diagnosed Extensive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

EP.13B.09 Outcomes of Inpatient Chemotherapy for Patients with Newly Diagnosed Extensive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

Effect of Combined Exercise and Nutrition Interventions During Inpatient Chemotherapy in Acute Leukemia and Malignant Lymphoma Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of combined exercise and nutrition interventions on physical function and quality of life (QOL) in patients with acute leukemia or malignant lymphoma (ML) during inpatient chemotherapy. The study was a randomized controlled trial where patients with acute leukemia or ML who were receiving inpatient chemotherapy and exercise therapy were divided into an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG). Both groups underwent resistance training and aerobic exercise. The patients in the IG were instructed to take nutritional supplements twice a day. Assessment items were muscle strength (handgrip strength and knee extension strength), 6-min walking test, skeletal muscle mass, QOL, nutritional status, and fatigue. Two-way analysis of variance showed a significant interaction for bilateral handgrip strength and knee extension strength. No significant interactions were found for the other items. The results of the present study showed improved muscle strength in the IG compared to the CG, indicating the effectiveness of combined exercise and nutrition interventions during inpatient chemotherapy in patients with acute leukemia or ML.

Insights into Readmission Trends Following Inpatient Chemotherapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A 30-Day Analysis

Insights into Readmission Trends Following Inpatient Chemotherapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A 30-Day Analysis

The Effect of Oral Care Protocols on Mucositis in Pediatric Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background/Aims: Standard oral care protocols can reduce the incidence of mucositis. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the "Oral Care Protocol" containing sodium bicarbonate or saline on mucositis development, degree, and duration in pediatric cancer patients. Methods: This study is a blind, parallel trial design, randomized controlled study. Patients (n = 43) who received inpatient chemotherapy treatment for more than three days at the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Unit were included. The oral care protocol with saline was given to the patients in the control group (n = 22), and the oral care protocol with sodium bicarbonate was given to the patients in the study group (n = 21). The primary outcome was the development of mucositis. The secondary outcomes were mucositis degree, patient data at the time of mucositis development, and the duration of mucositis. The characteristics of the patients in the study and control groups and the data of patients with and without mucositis were compared with Fisher's exact test, t-test, and chi-square analysis. Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the study and control groups in terms of mean age, gender, diagnosis, relapse status, treatment stage, risk group, and treatment protocols. Mucositis developed in 18.2% of the patients in the control group and 9.5% of the patients in the study group. No statistically significant difference was found in terms of mucositis development, degree, and duration. Conclusions: The oral care protocol with sodium bicarbonate can be used to prevent mucositis in pediatric cancer patients. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCTXXX.

The changing landscape of geriatric care in acute myeloid leukemia: a 5-year analysis of inpatient mortality predictors, trends in mortality, and chemotherapy use

Background This study examined inpatient mortality factors in geriatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using data from the 2016 to 2020 National Inpatient Sample. Methods Identifying patients through ICD-10 codes, a total of 127,985 individuals with AML were classified into age categories as follows: 50.58% were 65 to 74 years, 37.74% were 75 to 84 years, and 11.68% were 85 years or older. Statistical analysis, conducted with STATA, involved Fisher’s exact and Student’s t tests for variable comparisons. Mortality predictors were identified through multivariate logistic regression. Results Various hospital and patient-level factors, including an increase in age, race, a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index score, insurance status, and specific comorbidities such as atrial fibrillation and protein-calorie malnutrition, independently elevated the risk of inpatient mortality. Asthma, hyperlipidemia, and inpatient chemotherapy were linked to lower mortality. Although there was no statistically significant mortality rate change from 2016 to 2020, a decline in chemotherapy use in the eldest age group was noted. Conclusion This study highlights the complexity of factors influencing inpatient mortality among geriatric patients with AML, emphasizing the need for personalized clinical approaches in this vulnerable population.

Multidisciplinary Cancer Treatment Capacity in Ukraine During the War

PURPOSE Assessment of cancer diagnostic and treatment capacity is crucial to optimizing cancer care, especially in the setting of limited resources, including as a result of war. We assessed personnel, equipment, and treatment availability during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine to define gaps that could then be addressed with tailored strategies. METHODS An online survey designed in collaboration with oncology specialists from the National Cancer Institute in Ukraine was distributed to oncologists in Ukraine through oncology-related social media. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS 192 physicians from all regions of Ukraine, including 53 (23.6%) medical oncologists, 89 (46.4%) surgical oncologists, and 32 (16.7%) radiation oncologists completed the survey. The average number of medical oncologists per regional cancer centre was 4.7 compared to 2.5 seen as the optimal number. The average number of nurses trained in chemotherapy administration was 6.4 compared to the desired number of 8.6. The average number of chemotherapy infusion machines was 8.2 compared to 17.7 desired. On average, 5.7 ports were put in per month compared to 22.1 desired. Average number of infusion chairs was 6.4 compared to 16.3 desired, while the number of inpatient chemotherapy beds was 26.8 compared to 34.0 perceived as the optimal number. The reported average number of surgical oncologists was 12.1 with an optimal average of 6.0. The average number of surgical beds was 52.8 v 60.7 desired. The average and optimal numbers of the following were fairly close: surgical oncology trainees (2.1 v 2.6), operating room nurses (4.1 v 4.3), anesthesiologists (4.4 v 4.2), operating rooms (3.6 v 3.4), anaesthesia machines (4.4 v 4.0), average surgeries per week (21.5 v 21.8). The average number of radiation oncologists was 7.9 compared to 8.5 optimal numbers. For other metrics, average and optimal numbers were somewhat close: number of radiation therapy laboratory technicians (7.9 v 8.5), medical physicists (3.8 v 4.8), dosimetrists (1.5 v 2.1), Cobalt 60 machines (0.9 v 1.1), brachytherapy machines (1.1 v 1.7). CONCLUSION We identified important equipment and personnel gaps in oncology care in Ukraine. Results are limited by the decreased number of respondents from areas directly affected by active hostilities.

Disparities in cancer care: Is there a benefit for increased use of inpatient chemotherapy (IPC) in safety-net hospitals?

e13690 Background: Safety net hospitals provide care to a large number of vulnerable patients (pts) regardless of their ability to pay (1). These pts often have barriers to acceptance at many hospitals, including lack of or poor insurance, social and economic challenges. Additionally, pts frequently present with more advanced disease (2). Systemic treatment is preferentially administered on an ambulatory basis given several factors: clear financial incentives; effective supportive care; the association of good performance status (PS) with better outcomes; and patient preference (3). Only a few malignancies require inpatient systemic treatment. Strong social support is required for safe and effective ambulatory care, thus especially challenging pts at safety net hospitals in which social constraints are common. Methods: We reviewed patterns of IPC to determine efficacy and outcomes over a 3-year period at a safety net hospital, examining: malignancy type, reason for IPC treatment, treatment regimen (typically outpatient or inpatient), length of stay, and survival. Results: 82 pts met criteria. 56% had hematologic or HIV-associated malignancies. Solid tumor types included GI, breast, GYN, GU and small cell malignancies. Reasons for IPC were progression, worsening symptoms, declining PS in 55% and social constraints in 11%. Patient death within 3 months of IPC, or direct discharge to hospice/nursing home occurred in 42%. Further outpatient chemotherapy was never given in 50%. Death occurred in 15% of pts on the same hospitalization as the IPC; several additional pts were readmitted and died within one month. Individuals receiving IPC due to poor social support frequently required rapid rehospitalization, had poor outpatient follow-up, or died shortly thereafter. Three month survival was more favorable in pts with multiple myeloma or those admitted for drug-desensitization. Conclusions: Outcomes, including survival and rapid rehospitalization, were poor for pts receiving typical outpatient regimens on an inpatient basis whether due to social constraints, declining PS or worsening symptoms. A large percentage of pts never received further chemotherapy. IPC is costly, undesired by pts, and is often not a good use of resources. Pts with highly responsive cancers with fair to good PS had acceptable outcomes. IPC should be reserved for such pts if alternative outpatient regimens are not available. Earlier discussion of hospice and goals should not be replaced by chemotherapy. Institutional unavailability of key oral agents and limited outpatient resources often contribute to IPC. Better access to modern agents, enhanced social support, enlarged and better supported outpatient resources, as well as improved decision making improve cancer care. Our results do not support IPC as a frequent approach to cancer care in safety net hospitals. 1. Popescu, JAMA 2019. 2. Farkas, JCO 2012. 3. Mor, J Clin Epid 1988.

The impact of admitting ward on resource utilization and outcomes among hospitalized cancer survivors.

1550 Background: With improvements in the early detection and treatment of cancer, there is a growing population of cancer survivors; with a corresponding increase in acute care use among cancer survivors. However, models of inpatient care delivery for cancer survivors differ between hospitals and regions, which may impact resource use and outcomes. Understanding how different models influence outcomes may help define optimal models for inpatient care delivery for this population. Methods: We created a multicenter cohort of all cancer patients admitted to medical wards across 26 hospitals in Ontario, Canada from 2015 to 2022, and deterministically linked population-level administrative data including ambulatory oncology data, with each hospital’s patient-level electronic information (pharmacy, orders, notes, laboratory/imaging and results). Multivariable regression models compared characteristics and outcomes between patients admitted on oncology wards vs non-oncology wards adjusting for age, sex and co-morbidity scores. Results: In total, there were 370,118 hospitalizations from 191,990 unique patients. Among these hospitalizations, 38,075 episodes (10.3%) were on an oncology ward. The median time from cancer diagnosis to hospitalization was 4 years. The most common disease sites were genitourinary (21%), gastrointestinal (20%), breast (12%), and lung (10%). The most discharge diagnoses from oncology wards were inpatient chemotherapy (9%), febrile neutropenia (7%), non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (4%), acute myeloid leukemia (4%), myeloma (3%); while for non-oncology wards were heart failure (5%), palliative care (4%), UTI (2%), pneumonia (2%), acute renal failure (2%). In general, cancer patients admitted on oncology wards were younger (64 vs 76), had shorter length of stay (LOS; 9.6 vs 10.1 days), less in-hospital mortality (7.5% vs 11.4%), greater 30-day re-admission rates (29% vs 14%) and were also more likely to undergo CTs (28% vs 21%), MRIs (11% vs 9%) and interventional procedures (8% vs 6%) (all comparisons, p<0.001). Subgroup analysis focusing on the top 5 discharge diagnoses from non-oncology wards, showed that despite higher in-hospital mortality rates (aOR 1.27 95% CI [1.15-1.40] p<0.001), admission to a non-oncology ward for those diagnoses was associated with a shorter LOS (aOR 0.96 [0.92-1.00] p=0.03), reduced 30-day re-admission rates (aOR 0.77 [0.69-0.87] p<0.001), and reduced use of CTs (aOR 0.74 [0.68-0.82] p<0.001), MRIs (aOR 0.80 [0.68-0.95] p=0.01), and interventional procedures (aOR 0.84 [0.69-1.01] p=0.07). Conclusions: There are differences in both resource use and outcomes for cancer survivors hospitalized on oncology versus non-oncology wards, including for patients with the same discharge diagnosis. To optimize inpatient cancer care delivery for hospitalized cancer survivors, further exploration is needed.

Reducing the time to chemotherapy start for planned admissions.

e23201 Background: Planned hospital admissions for chemotherapy should be initiated shortly after arrival. Between January 2022 and May 2023, 25.7% of sarcoma patients at Medstar Washington Hospital Center admitted for chemotherapy experienced initiation of chemotherapy delays of more than 6 hours. Delays in chemotherapy initiation can lead to prolonged hospitalization with associated higher costs, increased risk of hospital acquired conditions, and decreased patient satisfaction. Methods: Discussions with team members involved in the initiation of inpatient chemotherapy process identified the following issues contributing to delay: absence of recent lab results, challenges with IV access, missing chemotherapy consent forms, absence of chemotherapy orders, failure to notify team members of patient arrival, lack of dose adjustments based on lab work, and insufficient pharmacy staffing. As our chemotherapy floor policy is to start pre-medications once the chemotherapy is on the unit, we defined the time to chemotherapy start as the time of the first pre-medication minus the time the patient checked in to the hospital’s admissions office. Patients with unforeseen issues such as a new fever on arrival were excluded. We obtained baseline data for sarcoma admissions between January 2022 to May 2023. Two Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were implemented. The first cycle involved the introduction of a chemotherapy calendar. The second cycle implemented a group email system to finalize all arrangements for the admission. We collected about 3 months of data for each PDSA cycle. Results: Pre-intervention, there were 101 sarcoma admissions with 14.9% of patients starting chemotherapy in < 3 hours while 25.7% took > 6 hours. In the post-intervention data combining both PDSA cycles, 6.8% of patients started chemotherapy in < 3 hours while 43.2% took > 6 hours. As such, the average time to chemotherapy start was increased in post-intervention groups (table 1) despite improvements in many of the common issues. The median time to chemotherapy start based on the number of agents the patient was receiving was 4.98, 6.4, and 7.18 hours respectively for 1, 2, and 3 agents in the post-intervention group. Conclusions: Despite multiple attempts, the median time to chemotherapy start increased in the post-intervention groups. Our interventions targeted many of the barriers except insufficient pharmacy staff. With the median start time increasing based on the number of agents the patient was receiving, it appears that pharmacy mixing and delivery chemotherapy is likely one of the main causes of the delays. Subsequent discussions with the pharmacy team revealed plans to increase staffing as a proactive measure to address this issue. [Table: see text]

Assessing the Impact of Comorbid Hypercalcemia on Inpatient Outcomes of Patients With Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma During Admission for Chemotherapy.

Introduction Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) may be complicated by hypercalcemia at various stages of treatment. The impact of hypercalcemia on chemotherapy admission outcomes in DLBCL is not well described. Methods In a retrospective analysis, using the National Inpatient Sample database (2018 - 2020), patients with DLBCL admitted for chemotherapy were dichotomized based on the presence of hypercalcemia. Our primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included length of stay (LOS), total charge, rate of acute kidney injury (AKI), tumor lysis syndrome (TLS), hyperkalemia, metabolic acidosis, acute encephalopathy, septic shock, Clostridiodes difficile infection, acute respiratory failure, and venous thromboembolic events (VTE). Results We identified 78,955 patients, among whom 1,375 (1.74%) had hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia was associated with higher odds of all-cause mortality (aOR:3.05, p-value:0.020), TLS (aOR:8.81, p-value<0.001), acute metabolic encephalopathy (aOR:4.89, p-value<0.001), AKI (aOR:5.29, p-value<0.001), hyperkalemia (aOR:2.84, p-value:0.002), metabolic acidosis (aOR:3.94, p-value<0.001) and respiratory failure (aOR:2.29, p-value:0.007) and increased LOS by 1 day andtotal charge by 12, 501 USD. Conclusions In patients with DLBCL admitted for inpatient chemotherapy, those with hypercalcemia compared to a cohort without had higher odds of; all-cause mortality, TLS, AKI, acute encephalopathy, acute metabolic acidosis, hyperkalemia, and acute respiratory failure as well as higher LOS and total charge.

Effects of the re-mission video game on fatigue and quality of life levels of adolescents diagnosed with cancer: a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the Re-Mission video game on the fatigue and quality of life of adolescents diagnosed with cancer. A total of 46 adolescents aged who received inpatient chemotherapy treatment in the pediatric hematology clinic were enrolled in the study. The data were obtained by using the Personal Information Form, Scale for the Assessment of Fatigue in Pediatric Oncology Patients Aged 13–18 and Quality of Life scale. Intergroup comparisons demonstrated that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of their mean scores for the overall Scale for the Assessment of Fatigue and Quality of Life calculated at the baseline of the study and one month and three months. The use of Re-mission video game positively affected levels of fatigue and quality of life of adolescents aged between 13 and 18 diagnosed with cancer.

CO20 Use of Inpatient Systemic Chemotherapy and/or Radiotherapy and Related Predictive Factors for Metastatic Urothelial Cancer (mUC): Findings from a Retrospective Observational Study in a Clinical Practice Setting in Italy

CO20 Use of Inpatient Systemic Chemotherapy and/or Radiotherapy and Related Predictive Factors for Metastatic Urothelial Cancer (mUC): Findings from a Retrospective Observational Study in a Clinical Practice Setting in Italy

Does Implementing Calendars Outlining Inpatient Chemotherapy Schedules in Patient Rooms Improve Patient's Experience?

Background: Patients who receive inpatient chemotherapy for malignancy are dealing with both a physically and mentally challenging admission. Their chemotherapy regimen is predetermined and usually only discussed during rounds. Often times, patients feel overwhelmed and may miss the outline of their schedule. Furthermore, patients families may not be able to attend morning rounds and may miss the proposed schedule. This can lead to a feeling of loss of control in both the patient and their family, and thus, frustration. First year medicine residents are also overwhelmed with a large patient load and having to keep track of multiple chemotherapy regimens. We are hoping that by providing a calendar that outlines patient's anticipated chemotherapy schedule, we may be able to give patients a small sense of control back and help residents provide the best care to their patients. Ultimately, we hope that this leads to a better inpatient experience. Methods: Patients admitted to the hematology/oncology floor at Henry Ford Health Hospital in Detroit, Michigan over three months were screened, and those receiving inpatient chemotherapy were selected. Within this group, any patient that was getting inpatient chemotherapy for longer than three days was asked if they would like to participate in the study. If the patient agreed, they were provided a calendar that outlined their chemotherapy schedule. Calendars were updated if any adjustments were made to the schedule. At the end of their inpatient stay, patients filled out a questionnaire asking if the calendar helped them understand their schedule better. The primary resident caring for the patient was also asked if the calendar helped them keep track of their patient's schedule. Results: Overall, patients responded positively to the calendars. We have preliminary data on ten patients and four providers from three months. On average, on a scale of 1-10 (with 1 indicating not helpful at all, and 10 indicating extremely helpful) patients rated the calendars helping them at a level of 7.5. Patients found that the calendars particularly helped their families who were not able to come visit in the hospital. Providers found the calendars extremely helpful, rating the calendars at a level of 10. We will continue to collect data and update our results. Conclusions: Implementing patient calendars in inpatient rooms helps patients keep track of their chemotherapy schedules and leads to a positive inpatient experience. We are hoping to implement this as a standard of care in all inpatient rooms on the hematology/oncology floor.

Impact of Outpatient Administration of Cytarabine Consolidation Chemotherapy on Hospital Length of Stay in Adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background: Administration of 3-4 cycles of high/intermediate dose cytarabine (H/IDAC) reduces relapse of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and bridges patients (pts) to allograft. There is no accepted standard model of safely delivering H/IDAC in these pts. To reduce reliance on inpatient (inpt) chemotherapy administration and safely avoid or forestall hospitalization during cycles, we developed an outpatient (outpt) protocol to deliver H/IDAC. Pts were assigned outpt or inpt treatment at their hematologist's discretion. We aimed to evaluate the benefits and safety of our model in this retrospective observational study. Methods: Pts diagnosed with AML and treated with intensive induction chemotherapy between 2015 and 2020 were identified; included pts received ≥1 consolidation cycle of 1-3g/m² cytarabine over 3 hours BID, dose adjusted for age and renal function, on days 1, 3 &amp; 5 of a planned 28-day cycle. Outpts received H/IDAC via computerized ambulatory delivery device (CADD) pump and central venous access device (CVAD), attended days 1-6, then 3 times a week for blood product support until count recovery; elective readmission was not mandated. Pts were educated to present to hospital if unwell. Inpts were admitted for H/IDAC but could be discharged prior to count recovery. Antimicrobial prophylaxis consisted of antifungal agents and valaciclovir. The primary endpoint was mean duration of hospital admission (LOS) per consolidation cycle. As pts may have been treated on an inpt and/or outpt basis, generalized estimating equations were used to compare LOS clustered by pt. Secondary outcomes included death during H/IDAC; intensive care unit (ICU) admission; time to admission; blood product use; cycle length; bacteremia; time to count recovery; relapse free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Of 109 pts identified, 62 pts were included and 47 pts excluded (not AML=3; induction death=7; refractory leukemia=14; alternative=13; no consolidation=10). Median age was 55.2 years (range 18.2-70.3); 31 (50%) males; ELN 2010 fav=23 (37.1%), Int-2/3 = 30 (48.4%), Adv=8 (12.9%); denovo AML in 60 (96.7%); and therapy related in 2 (3.2%). FLT3-ITD, NPM1 and bi-allelic CEBPA mutations detected in 11 (17.7%), 27 (43.5%) and 2 (3.2%) pts, respectively. Fifty-nine pts (95.1%) received 7+3 idarubicin induction and 7 (11.3%) received midostaurin. A total of 131 cycles of H/IDAC were administered; 81 (61.8%) were commenced as outpt and 50 (38.2%) as inpt. Twenty-seven (43.6%) pts commenced all cycles as an outpt. Those commencing consolidation as an outpt spent, on average, 10.3 fewer days in hospital per cycle. The mean (SD) LOS for outpt and inpt was 11 (8.3) versus 21.3 (8) days (p&amp;lt;0.001), respectively. For each consolidation cycle, outpts spent less time in hospital (mean, [SD]): cycle 1, 12.6 (10.3) vs 20.7 (8.0) days (RR 1.6, p=0.007); cycle 2, 11.6 (7.2) vs 21.4 (8.3) days (RR 1.8, p=0.001); cycle 3, 8.4 (5.8) vs 24.6 (7.4) days (RR 2.9, p&amp;lt;0.001). There were no deaths among inpts and one death in outpts (septic shock). ICU admission occurred in 8/81 (9.9%) cycles in outpts vs 1/50 cycles (2%) in inpts (p=0.12). Mean ICU LOS for outpts vs inpts in cycle 1 was 17.6 days vs 1.6; cycle 2, 5.1 vs 0 days; and cycle 3, 4.2 vs 0 days. Bacteremia was detected in 41 cycles (31.3%), with 38 isolates (gram pos=17, gram neg=21) in 31 outpt cycles (38.2%) and 15 isolates (gram pos=6, gram neg=9) in 10 inpt cycles (20%). Median time to admission in outpts was 14 days (IQR, 3-21); 15 (18.5%) cycles did not result in pt admission. There were no differences in timing of admissions by cycle number nor time-point to prompt elective admission (Fig.1). There was no difference in packed cell or platelet transfusion requirement between inpts and outpts. Time to blood count recovery was similar. No improvement was seen in cycle length. The proportion undergoing allogeneic transplant in first remission was 37.1%, and at any time, 59.7%. Over a median follow up of 3.3 years, median RFS was 2 years and OS, not reached. Conclusion: In selected pts, outpt based AML H/IDAC consolidation therapy significantly reduced hospital length of stay compared with inpts. There was no impact on cycle length. Bacteremia and ICU admission rates were higher in outpts, and strategies such as remote monitoring or pre-emptive hospitalization could be considered. Our findings suggest outpt consolidation should be considered in a supported clinical setting.

Identifying and Managing Patients with Life-Threatening Hematology Disorders By Doing Telemedicine Inpatient Hematology Consults in Underserved Hospitals

Background: Life-threatening hematology disorders require urgent intervention by expert hematologists. In many hospitals, there are no hematologists available to meet this need. This occurs in “underserved” hospitals, including many rural hospitals and many urban hospitals that do not have hospital-affiliated or hospital-employed hematologists on staff. Patients who present to these hospitals with life-threatening hematology conditions may have worse outcomes than those who present to hospitals that have hematologists on staff. The problem is created by the shortage of hematologists and the challenge of providing in-person consults in these hospitals. To address this problem, our telemedicine-based hematology practice joined the staffs of four underserved hospitals. We sought to identify and manage patients who require urgent hematology evaluation and intervention. Methods: We created telemedicine-based heme/onc consult services in four underserved hospitals that had little or no access to hematology experts. These facilities included one rural hospital, one critical access hospital (CAH), and two urban hospitals. In one urban site, we provided “hybrid” telemedicine-based service, in which we evaluated patients in-person alternating with telemedicine. Inpatients were seen on A/V devices with the help of the patient's nurse or with a “telepresenter” who brought the devices to the patients. Hospital EMR's were accessed by our hematology provider team. To identify patients who needed our services, we educated hospitalists about the need for urgent telemedicine heme/onc consults for select patients with clotting, bleeding, abnormal blood counts and emergency heme/onc conditions. Results: 3,202 patients were evaluated during a three-year period, including 180 patients in rural hospitals, 126 patients in a CAH, 349 patients in an urban hospital, and 2,547 patients in an urban “hybrid” hospital (mixed telemedicine and in-person consults). Consultations were mostly requested for non-malignant hematology patients, including those with bleeding, clotting, or abnormal blood count disorders. Heme malignancy and solid tumor patients were also referred. Several patients with life-threatening hematology or heme-malignancy conditions were identified, including 34 with acute life-threatening ITP, 23 with HIT, five with life-threatening high blood counts due to myeloproliferative disorder or newly diagnosed chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), two with TTP, and two with atypical HUS. Two patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) were identified, stabilized, transferred to tertiary care hospitals, and ultimately cured of their conditions. Telemedicine enabled our hematology practice to provide same-day consults and weekend coverage for hospitals located far apart and outside our home region. Some patients were transferred to tertiary care hospitals more promptly because of our service, while others were deemed safe to avoid a hospital transfer that would otherwise have been requested. In some cases, we provided stewardship for blood transfusions and guidance for blood transfusion refusal. Finally, in some cases we enabled safe discharge by planning prompt telemedicine follow-up. Some of the challenges we faced included slow internet connections and less sophisticated EMR's in rural and CAH hospitals that required more time to complete a consult than would otherwise be needed. It was sometimes challenging to plan A/V televisits at convenient times. Sometimes we felt hindered by lack of in-person assessment. Some of the tests and interventions we would have requested in larger hospitals were not possible, resulting in delays of care or requiring transfers to tertiary care hospitals. Finally, some patients who may have otherwise received inpatient chemotherapy or radiation were discharged instead of being transferred. Conclusions: Telemedicine inpatient hematology consults for underserved hospitals are feasible, though challenging. It is possible to identify and manage patients who have life-threatening hematology disorders via telemedicine.

Safety and Financial Analysis of Outpatient Hypercvad Arm a Administration for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

The hyperCVAD chemotherapy regimen for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) traditionally requires patients to be admitted inpatient for administration due to the need for coordinating infusion times and managing toxicities. This may cause significant financial burden to the healthcare system and an emotional burden to patients and caregivers. Our institution established an Inpatient/Outpatient (IPOP) program in 2014 which specializes in outpatient administration of various high-risk chemotherapies, including hyperCVAD arm A. This study aims to evaluate the safety and financial impact of administering hyperCVAD arm A in the outpatient setting. A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients ≥18 years of age who received hyperCVAD arm A between January 2019 to July 2020 for treatment of B- or T-cell ALL at an National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center in Florida. The primary endpoint of the study was the overall incidence of hospital admissions during outpatient chemotherapy administration during days 1 through 4 of hyperCVAD arms 2A, 3A, and 4A. Secondary endpoints included number of hospitalizations between cycles, number of hospital days saved by outpatient administration, infectious complications, adherence to institutional hematology/infectious diseases guidelines, and drug-related adverse events. Financial analysis was conducted based on reimbursement data and impact of hospital bed backfill to determine the overall financial impact outpatient hyperCVAD arm A administration. Direct margin was calculated by subtracting direct expense from reimbursement. Out of 83 patients who received hyperCVAD arm A during the examined time period, 42 (50%) met inclusion criteria. Majority of patients were excluded due to receiving hyperCVAD arm A for non-ALL indications (n=31) or receiving hyperCVAD for delayed intensification (n=3). A total of 103 cycles of hyperCVAD arm A were administered, with 56 cycles given in the outpatient setting to 26 patients. Based on an approximated 5 days of hospital admission required for administration of hyperCVAD arm A, administering the regimen via the IPOP service resulted in an estimated 280 days of avoided hospitalization for 26 patients. No patients were removed from the IPOP program due to adverse effects. One (4%) patient required hospitalization during days 1 through 4 of outpatient chemotherapy administration due to a non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction. This patient was subsequently switched to blinatumomab treatment administered via the IPOP service. Eight (31%) patients were hospitalized after completing day 4 of each cycle for reasons not directly related to hyperCVAD arm A (table 2). Our reimbursement data found each outpatient cycle was associated with a 60% increase in margin compared to inpatient administration. Additionally, we expect a positive financial gain from backfilling of inpatient beds that would otherwise be occupied for approximately 5 days of hospitalization from hyperCVAD arm A administration. Considering the combined effect from these two factors, the administration of hyperCVAD arm A under the IPOP service resulted in a significant positive financial impact for our institution. Our findings provide evidence to support the administration of hyperCVAD arm A under the IPOP service is safe and feasible. Although there may be upfront costs associated with implementing an ambulatory program for administration of traditionally inpatient chemotherapy regimens, the outpatient approach demonstrated favorable financial implications and alleviated bed shortages.

Shotgun Sequencing of Multi-Site Oral and Colonic Microbiota in Patients with AML: Site-Specific Patterns and Microbiota Decompartmentalization

Gut microbiota is a source of pathogens in immunocompromised patients. While most microbiota studies in patients with AML receiving induction chemotherapy have focused on the gut microbiota, the few on salivary microbiota suggest less severe dysbiosis. As the saliva does not have its own intrinsic microbiota and takes fractions of the microbiota from the different oral tissues it bathes, the extent to which the salivary microbiota reflects microbial changes in other oral sites is unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, we characterized the microbiota in longitudinal salivary, supragingival plaque, and fecal samples of AML patients receiving inpatient chemotherapy. 31 patients have been enrolled in this prospective single-center study. Baseline stool, saliva, and plaque samples were collected at baseline and repeated weekly until 5 weeks after starting chemotherapy or discharge from the hospital, whichever occurred first. Time was divided into 3 intervals: admission to day 10 of chemotherapy, days 11-20, and day 21 and later. 111 samples (stool: 39, saliva: 36, plaque: 36) from 16 patients have been sequenced to date. Samples underwent shotgun sequencing targeting 10M paired-end reads/sample. MetaPhlAn4 was used for taxonomic assignment. Alpha diversity was quantified by Shannon index and beta diversity by Bray-Curtis dissimilarity. 9 patients were male and 7 were female. Median age was 64 (range 34-82). 15 patients were newly diagnosed and 1 was relapsed/refractory. Chemotherapy regimens included CLAG-M (n=10), ATRA+ATO (n=3), Vyxeos (n=1), Venetoclax+Azacitidine (n=1), and intermediate-dose Ara-C (n=1). The 3 most frequently used antibacterial antibiotics were cefepime (n=14), IV vancomycin (n=12), and levofloxacin (n=11). Median hospitalization length was 19 days (range 6-31). Neutropenic fever occurred in 13 patients. Documented infections included bacteremia (n=8), skin/soft tissue (n=5), intestinal (n=4), urinary tract (n=4), and pneumonia (n=1). Four bacterial species isolated from blood cultures of patients with fever were detected by sequencing 1-2 weeks before bacteremia: Gemella Haemolysans in saliva, plaque, and stool, Streptococcus mitis in saliva and stool, Rothia mucilaginosa in saliva and plaque, and Citrobacter freundii in stool. Microbiota diversity from the 3 sites showed markedly different dynamics ( Fig. 1). Plaque microbiota diversity remained stable throughout, with levels as high as fecal microbiota in intervals 1 and 2, and higher than both fecal and salivary microbiota in interval 3. Salivary microbiota diversity was the lowest among sites in intervals 1 and 2 and experienced only a slight reduction in interval 3. In contrast, fecal microbiota diversity was high compared to the other sites in intervals 1 and 2 but dropped in interval 3 to the lowest among all sites. With all 3 intervals combined, salivary microbiota had lower diversity (median 1.9, range 0.04-3.9) than plaque (median 2.7, 0.2-4.3; P=0.01) and fecal microbiota (median 2.9, 0.3-3.7; P=0.048). The 3 sites largely segregated on hierarchical clustering using species abundances ( Fig. 2). However, microbiota in several low-diversity samples from different sites in the same patient coalesced: Veillonella parvula and R. mucilaginosa were detected in all 3 sites, V. dispar in stool and plaque, and S. parasanguinis in stool and saliva. Each overlap was present in 5 or more patients. This first shotgun sequencing analysis of longitudinal salivary, plaque, and fecal microbiota in AML patients offers several novel findings. First, plaque microbiota diversity is stable despite exposure to antibiotics, whereas fecal microbiota diversity is not. Second, while healthy adults show no overlap between oral and colonic microbiota, low-diversity fecal samples from AML patients contained species of their own oral microbiota, particularly at later time points. These data suggest ectopic colonization of the gut by oral flora. Future mechanistic studies of plaque biofilms may reveal community-protective mechanisms that sustain oral plaque microbial diversity and contribute oral flora to the gut. Mitigating gut dysbiosis in AML patients by manipulating plaque biofilms could be a novel approach to improve patient outcomes.

Clinical outcomes and cost savings from implementation of an objective scoring rubric to guide inpatient chemotherapy stewardship.

471 Background: The cost of cancer care is an enormous healthcare burden. Most inpatient chemotherapy (IC) is not reimbursed because of the diagnosis-related group code structure for reimbursement. We implemented the use of a novel objective scoring rubric to guide and automate IC stewardship at an academic cancer center to decrease the inappropriate use of costly IC in patients especially at the end of life. Methods: We created a scoring rubric based on treatment and patient specific criteria. Intravenous (IV) IC that is on formulary and standard of care is automatically approved. IV IC that is non-formulary requires evaluation using developed criteria including: type and phase of trial, FDA and NCCN approvals, performance status, line, and goal of therapy. Clinicians enter these criteria in a Redcap form which automatically calculates a score which is reviewed by 2 disease specific physicians and a clinical pharmacist for accuracy. If the threshold score is not met, IC is not approved for administration. We compared differences from the post-implementation time period (3/2022-10/2022) to the same time the year prior on our primary outcomes: inpatient mortality and drug costs. Analyses were conducted using Chi-square tests. Results: A total of 98 IC requests were submitted; 16% (16) were disapproved. Solid Tumor (ST) accounted for 52% (51) of requests with 48% (41) for Heme Malignancy (HM). Of the approved cases, ST comprised 61% (22) of deaths compared to 39% (14) of patients with HM. Of the disapproved cases that died, 55% (5) were ST and 45% (4) were HM. Requests for checkpoint inhibitors comprised 16% (15) of cases and 81% of those patients died (p= 0.028) with the majority (60%) dying in the hospital (p= 0.05). Among those who died, 26% (n=4; p=0.08) and 46% (n=7; p=0.01) died within 30 and 60 days of last chemotherapy administration, respectively. Pre-implementation the spend on IV NF chemotherapy was $744,105 and post was $549,363; a 26% ($194,741) reduction in cost. Conclusions: Physician choice for administration of IC aligned with objective criteria 84% of the time. Alternatively, this tool prevented inappropriate administration of IC 16% of the time. Checkpoint inhibitor administration was significantly associated with inpatient mortality. Our pilot indicates that there is a role for an objective tool for automated IC stewardship with an emphasis to limit inpatient immunotherapy.