Kathryn Elizabeth Hudson1, Steven Paul Wolf2, Gregory P Samsa2, Arif H Kamal3, Amy Pickar Abernethy4,5, Thomas William LeBlanc3,6. 1. 1 Texas Oncology , US Oncology, Austin, Texas. 2. 2 Biostatistics Core, Duke University School of Medicine , Durham, North Carolina. 3. 3 Duke Cancer Institute , Durham, North Carolina. 4. 4 Duke Clinical Research Institute , Durham, North Carolina. 5. 5 Flatiron Health , New York, New York. 6. 6 Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine , Durham, North Carolina.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Little is known about quality of life (QOL), depression, and end-of-life (EOL) outcomes among hospitalized patients with advanced cancer. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the surprise question identifies inpatients with advanced cancer likely to have unmet palliative care needs. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study and long-term follow-up. SETTING/ SUBJECTS: From 2008 to 2010, we enrolled 150 inpatients at Duke University with stage III/IV solid tumors or lymphoma/acute leukemia and whose physician would not be surprised if they died in less than one year. MEASUREMENTS: We assessed QOL (FACT-G), mood (brief CES-D), and EOL outcomes. RESULTS: Mean FACT-G score was quite low (66.9; SD 11). Forty-five patients (30%) had a brief CES-D score of ≥4 indicating a high likelihood of depression. In multivariate analyses, better QOL was associated with less depression (OR 0.91, p < 0.0001), controlling for tumor type, education, and spiritual well-being. Physicians correctly estimated death within one year in 101 (69%) cases, yet only 37 patients (25%) used hospice, and 4 (2.7%) received a palliative care consult; 89 (60.5%) had a do-not-resuscitate order, and 63 (43%) died in the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The surprise question identifies inpatients with advanced solid or hematologic cancers having poor QOL and frequent depressive symptoms. Although physicians expected death within a year, EOL quality outcomes were poor. Hospitalized patients with advanced cancer may benefit from palliative care interventions to improve mood, QOL, and EOL care, and the surprise question is a practical method to identify those with unmet needs.
BACKGROUND: Little is known about quality of life (QOL), depression, and end-of-life (EOL) outcomes among hospitalized patients with advanced cancer. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the surprise question identifies inpatients with advanced cancer likely to have unmet palliative care needs. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study and long-term follow-up. SETTING/ SUBJECTS: From 2008 to 2010, we enrolled 150 inpatients at Duke University with stage III/IV solid tumors or lymphoma/acute leukemia and whose physician would not be surprised if they died in less than one year. MEASUREMENTS: We assessed QOL (FACT-G), mood (brief CES-D), and EOL outcomes. RESULTS: Mean FACT-G score was quite low (66.9; SD 11). Forty-five patients (30%) had a brief CES-D score of ≥4 indicating a high likelihood of depression. In multivariate analyses, better QOL was associated with less depression (OR 0.91, p < 0.0001), controlling for tumor type, education, and spiritual well-being. Physicians correctly estimated death within one year in 101 (69%) cases, yet only 37 patients (25%) used hospice, and 4 (2.7%) received a palliative care consult; 89 (60.5%) had a do-not-resuscitate order, and 63 (43%) died in the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The surprise question identifies inpatients with advanced solid or hematologic cancers having poor QOL and frequent depressive symptoms. Although physicians expected death within a year, EOL quality outcomes were poor. Hospitalized patients with advanced cancer may benefit from palliative care interventions to improve mood, QOL, and EOL care, and the surprise question is a practical method to identify those with unmet needs.
Entities:
Keywords:
advance care planning; depression; hospice care; inpatients; palliative care; quality of life
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