MIAMI, FLORIDA (June 27, 2023) – Cancer patients with unmet supportive care needs are more likely to experience worse clinical outcomes, including more emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations, according to new research from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
The study, published June 21 in JAMA Network Open , also found that Black race, Hispanic ethnicity and factors such as anxiety, depression, pain, poor physical function and low health-related quality-of-life scores were associated with greater number of unmet needs, leading to increased risk for ED visits and hospitalizations.
This retrospective analysis involved 5,236 patients treated at Sylvester’s various ambulatory cancer sites who used its My Wellness Check, an electronic health record-based system, that monitors patients’ emotional, physical and psychosocial needs.
“This study, to our knowledge, is the most comprehensive assessment to date that links unmet supportive care needs to ED visits and hospitalizations among ambulatory oncology patients,” said Frank J Penedo, PhD , Sylvester’s associate director for Cancer Survivorship and Translational Behavioral Sciences and corresponding author of the research. “It included a very diverse group of patients treated at our various cancer clinic locations and across multiple phases of the cancer care continuum.”
Other key takeaways from this study included:
“Our findings offer strong evidence that unmet supportive care needs are associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes, particularly higher risk for ED visits and hospitalizations,” Penedo said. “Addressing these unmet needs is crucial to improve clinical outcomes and particularly in racial and ethnic minority populations where the needs are greatest.”
Authors
The complete list of authors is noted in the research article.
Funding
This study was funded in part by grant P30 CA240139 from the National Cancer Institute. Sara Fleszar-Pavlovic, PhD, is funded by The Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Institution Research Training Grant (T32; 5T32CA251064-03) in Cancer Training in Disparities and Equity (C-TIDE).
Conflicts of Interest Disclosure
Penedo reported receiving personal fees from BlueNote Therapeutics outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.19352
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JAMA Network Open
10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.19352
Factors Associated With Unmet Supportive Care Needs and Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations in Ambulatory Oncology
21-Jun-2023