Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37029913›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of public health2023

Continuity of care and treatment intensity at the end of life in Swiss cancer patients.

Caroline Bähler, Markus Näpflin, Martin Scherer, Eva Blozik

Abstract read
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Article in European journal of public health, 2023. 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

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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.

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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

4 authors.

Caroline BählerDepartment of Health Sciences, Helsana Group, Zürich, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-4650-1463
Markus NäpflinDepartment of Health Sciences, Helsana Group, Zürich, Switzerland.
Martin SchererDepartment of General Practice, Primary Care, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Eva BlozikDepartment of Health Sciences, Helsana Group, Zürich, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundContinuity of care (COC) was shown to be associated with fewer hospitalizations. We aimed to evaluate whether COC was associated with intensive intervention(s) at the end of life (IEOL), a preference-sensitive outcome, in cancer patients.

methodsThe study is based on claims data of patients with incident use of anti-neoplastics in Switzerland. COC Index, Usual Provider Continuity score, Sequential Continuity index and Modified Modified Continuity Index were calculated based on consultations with the usual ambulatory care physician. Treatment intensity was evaluated in the last 6 months of life, and COC was evaluated in months 18-6 before death in those who died between 24 and 54 months after incident cancer. IEOL comprised life-sustaining interventions (cardiac catheterization, cardiac assistance device implantation, pulmonary artery wedge monitoring, cardiopulmonary resuscitation/cardiac conversion, gastrostomy, blood transfusion, dialysis, mechanical ventilator utilization and intravenous antibiotics) and measures specifically used in cancer patients (last dose of chemotherapy ≤14 days of death, a new chemotherapy regimen starting <30 days before death, ≥1 emergency visit in the last month of life, ≥1 hospital admission or spending >14 days in hospital in the last month of life and death in an acute-care hospital).

resultsAll COC scores were inversely associated with the occurrence of an IEOL, as were older age, homecare nursing utilization and density of ambulatory care physicians. For COC Index, odds ratio was 0.55 (95% confidence interval 0.37-0.83).

conclusionsCOC scores were consistently and inversely related to IEOL. The study supports efforts to improve COC for cancer patients at their end of life.

Indexed as

Continuity of Patient CareNeoplasmsDeathHospitalizationHumansRetrospective StudiesSwitzerland

Identifiers

PMID37029913
PMCPMC10234661

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