Early Palliative Care Utilization Among Older Adults with Metastatic Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Nowels Molly, Kozlov Elissa, Crystal Stephen, Duberstein Paul
Primary Institution: Weill Cornell Medicine, Rutgers University
Hypothesis
What are the predictors of early palliative care use among older adults with metastatic cancer?
Conclusion
Early palliative care is associated with better outcomes, but the patient population receiving it may have significant psychiatric and behavioral health issues.
Supporting Evidence
- Meta-analytic data show that early palliative care is linked to better outcomes for older adults with cancer.
- 4.9% of the studied population received early palliative care.
- Behavioral health diagnoses were associated with increased odds of receiving early palliative care.
Takeaway
This study looked at older adults with cancer and found that many who received early palliative care also had mental health issues, suggesting that palliative care teams need more mental health experts.
Methodology
Logistic regression modeling was used to identify predictors of early palliative care use among a random sample of Medicare enrollees.
Limitations
The study may not fully capture all factors influencing early palliative care utilization.
Participant Demographics
Older adults with metastatic cancer enrolled in Medicare.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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