Feasibility of an embedded palliative care clinic model for patients with an advanced thoracic malignancy.

PURPOSE: Early palliative care (PC) with standard oncology care has demonstrated improved patient outcomes, but multiple care delivery models are utilized. This study prospectively evaluated the feasibility of an embedded PC clinic model and collected patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and caregiver needs. METHODS: In this observational study of embedded outpatient PC for patients with advanced thoracic malignancies treated at The Ohio State University Thoracic Oncology clinic, patients received same-day coordinated oncology and palliative care visits at one clinic location. PC encounters included comprehensive symptom assessment and management, advanced care planning, and goals of care discussion. Multiple study assessments were utilized. We describe the feasibility of evaluating PROs and caregiver needs in an embedded PC model. RESULTS: Forty patients and 28 caregivers were enrolled. PROs were collected at baseline and follow-up visits. Over a 12-month follow-up, 36 patients discontinued study participation due to hospice enrollment, death, study withdrawal, or COVID restrictions. At baseline, 32 patients (80%) rated distress as moderate-severe with clinically significant depression (44%) and anxiety (36%). Survey completion rates significantly decreased over time: 3 months (24 eligible, 66% completed), 6 months (17 eligible; 41% completed), 9 months (9 eligible; 44% completed), and 12 months (4 eligible; 50% completed). CONCLUSION: We found that an embedded PC clinic was feasible, although there were challenges encountered in longitudinal collection of PROs due to high study attrition. Ongoing assessment and expansion of this embedded PC model will continue to identify strengths and challenges to improve patient and caregiver outcomes.

Too Many Appointments: Assessing Provider and Nursing Perception of Barriers to Referral for Outpatient Palliative Care.

Background: Integration of early outpatient palliative care for patients with advanced cancer requires overcoming logistical constraints as well as attitudinal barriers of referring providers. This pilot study assessed provider perception of logistical and attitudinal barriers to outpatient palliative care referral as well as provider acceptability of an embedded onco-palliative clinic model. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey-based study of medical oncologists, palliative care physicians, advanced practice providers (APP), and oncology nurses at a large U.S. academic center. Participants were invited to participate through anonymous online survey. Participants rank ordered logistical barriers influencing referral to an outpatient palliative clinic. Respondents indicated level of agreement with attitudinal perception of palliative care and acceptability of an embedded palliative clinic model through five-item Likert-like scales. Results: There were a total of 54 study participants (28 oncology physicians/APPs, 15 palliative physicians/APPs, and 11 oncology nurses). Across the three cohorts, most survey respondents ranked "time burden to patients" as the primary logistical barrier to outpatient palliative care referral. Both oncology and palliative providers indicated comfort with primary palliative care skills although palliative providers were more comfortable with symptom management compared with oncology providers (93.3% vs. 32.2%). A majority of participants (94.9%) were willing to refer to a palliative care provider embedded within an oncology clinic. Conclusion: Additional health care time cost to patients is a major barrier to outpatient palliative care referral. Embedding a palliative care provider in an oncology clinic may be an acceptable model to increase patient access to outpatient palliative care while supporting the oncology team.