Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38857462›Full record

ArticleJCO oncology practice2025

Respect for the Patient-Oncologist Relationship May Limit Serious Illness Communication by Acute and Postacute Care Clinicians After Discharge to a Skilled Nursing Facility.

Sarguni Singh, Ashley Dafoe, John Cagle, Wells A Messersmith, Elizabeth R Kessler, Hillary D Lum, Brooke Dorsey Holliman, Stacy Fischer

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JCO oncology practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  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

8 authors.

Sarguni SinghDivision of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO.ORCID 0000-0003-1674-316X
Ashley DafoeAdult and Child Center for Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO.ORCID 0000-0002-4625-4458
John CagleUniversity of Maryland School of Social Work, Baltimore, MD.
Wells A MessersmithDivision of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO.ORCID 0000-0003-2349-0885
Elizabeth R KesslerDivision of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO.ORCID 0000-0001-7285-867X
Hillary D LumDivision of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO.ORCID 0000-0001-5637-3912
Brooke Dorsey HollimanAdult and Child Center for Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO.
Stacy FischerDivision of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO.

Funding

Mentoring Investigators in Dementia Research by Engaging with Persons with Alzheimer's Disease and Care PartnersK24AG084999 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI Hillary Lum · 2024 to 2026
$671k
Improving Person-Centered Outcomes for Older Adults with Cancer Discharged to Skilled Nursing Facilities and their Family CaregiversK23AG076866 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · PI Sarguni Singh · 2024 to 2026
$568k
NIA NIH HHS K23 AG076866NIA NIH HHS K24 AG084999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThere is a need to increase palliative care access for hospitalized older adults with cancer discharged to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) at risk of poor outcomes. Assessing and Listening to Individual Goals and Needs (ALIGN) is a palliative care intervention developed to address this gap. This study gathered perspectives from clinicians across care settings to describe perceptions on serious illness communication and care coordination for patients with cancer after discharge to a SNF to guide ALIGN refinements.

methodsWe conducted 37 semistructured interviews with clinicians and leaders in hospital medicine (n = 12), oncology (n = 9), palliative care (n = 12), home health care (n = 6), and hospice (n = 4). Some participants had experience working in more than one specialty. The Practical Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model framework was used to develop the interview guide that explored barriers to care, prognosis discussions, and hospice recommendations. Interviews were coded and analyzed using thematic content analysis.

resultsAnalysis identified four themes: (1) discharge to a SNF is recognized as a time of worsening prognosis; (2) care silos create communication and information barriers during a period of increasing palliative care need; (3) family caregiver distress escalates following care transitions; and (4) lack of clarity of roles and respect for the patient-oncologist relationship limits prognostic communication and changes in focus of treatment.

conclusionThese findings suggest that acute and postacute care clinicians defer serious illness conversations to the oncologist when patients are on a steep trajectory of decline, experiencing multiple care transitions, and may have limited contact with their oncologist. There is a need to clarify roles among nononcology and oncology clinicians in discussing prognosis and recommending hospice for older adults discharged to SNF.

Indexed as

CommunicationOncologistsPatient DischargePhysician-Patient RelationsSkilled Nursing FacilitiesSubacute CareAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPalliative Care

Identifiers

PMID38857462
PMCPMC12342398

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.