Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28761725›Full record

ArticleESMO open2017

Impact of intervention aimed at improving the integration of oncology units and local palliative care services: results of the multicentre prospective sequential MIRTO study.

Andrea A Martoni, Barbara Melotti, Claudia Degli Esposti, Vita Mutri, Giorgio Lelli, Silvia Ansaloni, Erico Piva, Elena Strocchi, Franco Pannuti

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in ESMO open, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 36% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Andrea A MartoniMedical Oncology Unit, University Hospital S.Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1008-8803
Barbara MelottiMedical Oncology Unit, University Hospital S.Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.
Claudia Degli EspostiMedical Oncology Unit, University Hospital S.Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.
Vita MutriMedical Oncology Unit, University Hospital S.Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.
Giorgio LelliClinical Oncology, University Hospital, Ferrara, Italy.
Silvia AnsaloniMedical Oncology Unit, University Hospital S.Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.
Erico PivaClinical Oncology, University Hospital, Ferrara, Italy.
Elena StrocchiIndustrial Chemistry Institute, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Franco PannutiFondazione ANT, Bologna, Italy.
IRCCS Azienda Ospedliero-Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico di Sant'Orsola · ITUniversity of Ferrara · ITANT Foundation Italy Onlus · ITUniversity of Bologna · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChemotherapy (CT) in patients with advanced cancer (ACP) near the end of life is an increasing practice of oncology units. A closer integration with palliative care (PC) services could reduce the use of potentially harmful CT. This prospective study is aimed at assessing whether a more integrated care model could reduce CT use near the end of life and increase local PC service utilisation.

methodsThe study enrolled sequentially two cohorts of ACP with an estimated life expectancy of ≤6 months. In the first cohort, the usual oncologist's practice to prescribe CT and to activate local PC services were recorded. In cohort 2, the oncologist's decision was taken after an in-hospital consultation with the local PC teams. After patient death, a follow-back survey was carried out.

resultsThe two cohorts included 109 and 125 evaluable patients, respectively. The oncologist's decision to prescribe CT occurred in 51.4% and 60%, respectively: the percentages of patients receiving the final CT administration in the last 30 days of life did not differ in the two cohorts (33.9% and 29.3%, respectively,p=0.83). Conversely, an increase in home PC service utilisation (from 56.9% to 82.4%, p=0.00), at home deaths (from 40.4% to 56.8%, p=0.01) and in-hospice deaths (from 8.3% to 19.2%, p=0.00) occurred in cohort 2.

conclusionThe implementation of an initial in-hospital consultation of oncologists and experienced home PC teams has not reduced the use of CT near the end of life but increased PC service utilisation and reduced in-hospital deaths.

Indexed as

Chemotherapy near end of lifeEarly palliative careSimultaneous care

Identifiers

PMID28761725
PMCPMC5519798
OpenAlexW2600823995

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.