Pattern and Predictors of Outpatient Palliative Care Referral Among Thoracic Medical Oncologists
Conclusion.The pattern of referral to outpatient palliative care varied widely among thoracic oncologists. Younger oncologists were not only referring a higher proportion of patients, but also referring patients earlier in the disease trajectory.Implications for Practice.This retrospective cohort study found that younger thoracic medical oncologists were significantly more likely to refer patients to outpatient palliative care and to do so earlier in the disease trajectory compared with older oncologists, even after adjusting for other known predictors such as patient demographics. The findings highlight the role of education to standardize palliative care access and imply that outpatient palliative care referral is likely to continue to increase with a shifting oncology workforce.
Source: The Oncologist - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: David Hui, Kelly Kilgore, Minjeong Park, Diane Liu, Yu Jung Kim, Ji Chan Park, Frank Fossella, Eduardo Bruera Tags: Symptom Management and Supportive Care, Health Outcomes and Economics of Cancer Care Source Type: research
More News: Cancer | Cancer & Oncology | Economics | Education | Palliative | Palliative Care | Study | Universities & Medical Training