Snapshot of an outpatient supportive care center at a comprehensive cancer center.

Abstract

145 Background: Integration of Palliative Care (PC) in oncology has been found to improve symptom distress, quality of life and survival in patients with advanced cancer. Early integration is most appropriate in the outpatient (OP) setting. However, most PC services in the U.S. do not have an OP component. Our study aims to provide a snapshot of the type of patients that are referred to this novel setting for the delivery of early PC. Methods: We reviewed a day in the SCC to illustrate the structure and process involved in the delivery of outpatient PC. We highlighted 9 patients seen that day to show the variety of patients, scope of services, and the unique roles that PC interdisciplinary team members perform. Results: 41 patients were seen that day in the SCC: 10 scheduled consults, 22 scheduled follow-ups, 9 (22%) same-day unscheduled patients: 4 follow-ups, 1 consult and 4 nurse triages. There were also 31 telephone encounters. Most patients seen were for routine follow-up and symptom assessment. However, 10 presented with worsening symptoms with one needing hospital admission. 21 patients required additional counseling: 2 for hospice transitioning, 12 for psychosocial distress, 7 for opioid education. PC was delivered predominantly by physicians and nurses with collaboration with our pharmacist, counselors, and case manager. Conclusions: Traditionally, PC has been delivered predominantly to patients with advanced disease and to aid in transition to end of life. In recent years, OP centers have dramatically changed the nature of PC work as in our snapshot. In addition to patients regarded as traditional PC patients, such as those transitioning to end of life, there are now patients who come in soon after arrival to a cancer center requiring specialized care to address a variety of symptom and educational needs, thus requiring adaptation of structure and processes to allow access for frequent follow ups and counseling and flexibility for walk-in visits. Our findings suggest that SCC needs to practice in a very different way which requires certain skills and assessment tools that are not conventionally present in traditional oncology clinic setting. More research is needed to identify the type of patients that would benefit most from a PC referral.