Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32339469›Full record

ArticleJCO oncology practice2020

Oncology Fellow-Led Quality Improvement Project to Improve Rates of Palliative Care Utilization in Patients With Advanced Cancer.

Ramy Sedhom, Arjun Gupta, Mirat Shah, Melinda Hsu, Marcus Messmer, Joseph Murray, Ilene Browner, Thomas J Smith, Kristen Marrone

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JCO oncology practice, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Clinician perspectives on delivering primary and specialty palliative care in community oncology practices.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Article
  2. Article
  3. 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.

Ramy SedhomSidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Arjun GuptaSidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Mirat ShahSidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Melinda HsuSidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Marcus MessmerSidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Joseph MurraySidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Ilene BrownerSidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Thomas J SmithSidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Kristen MarroneSidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.

Funding

EPIDEMIOLOGY AND BIOSTATISTICS OF AGINGT32AG000247 · NIA · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI Karen J. Bandeen-Roche · 1996 to 2026
$13.2M
Clinical Pharmacology Training ProgramT32GM066691 · NIGMS · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI Matthew Michael Ippolito · 2003 to 2026
$6.4M
NIA NIH HHS T32 AG000247NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM066691
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeASCO guidelines recommend palliative care (PC) referral for patients with advanced or metastatic cancer. Despite this, implementation has considerable hurdles. First-year oncology fellows at our institution identified low rates of PC utilization in their longitudinal clinic as a metric needing improvement.

methodsA fellow-led multidisciplinary team aimed to increase PC utilization for patients with advanced cancer followed in he first-year fellows' clinic from a baseline of 11.5% (5 of 43 patients, July to December of 2018) to 30% over a 6-month period. Utilization was defined as evaluation in the outpatient PC clinic hosted in the cancer center. The team identified the following barriers to referral: orders difficult to find in the electronic medical record (EMR), multiple consulting mechanisms (EMR, by phone, or in person), EMR request not activating formal consult, no centralized scheduler to contact or confirm appointment, and poor awareness of team structure. Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were implemented based on identified opportunities. Data were obtained from the EMR.

resultsThe first PDSA cycle included focus groups with stakeholders, standardizing referral process via single order set, identifying a single scheduler with bidirectional communication, and disseminating process changes. PDSA cycles were implemented from January to June of 2019. Rates of PC use increased from 11.5% before the intervention to 48.4% (48 of 99 patients) after the intervention.

conclusionA multidisciplinary approach and classic quality improvement methodology improved PC use in patients with advanced cancer. The pilot succeeded given the small number of fellows, buy-in from stakeholders, and institutional and leadership support. Straightforward EMR interventions and ancillary staff use are effective in addressing underreferrals.

Indexed as

Hospice and Palliative Care NursingNeoplasmsHumansMaleMedical OncologyPalliative CareQuality Improvement

Identifiers

PMID32339469
PMCPMC7427421

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.