BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that outpatient palliative care can reduce hospitalization and increase hospice utilization for @entity1 with @entity5 , however there are insufficient resources to provide palliative care to all @entity1 from time of diagnosis. It is also unclear whether inpatient consultation alone provides similar benefits. A better understanding of the timing, setting, and impact of palliative care for @entity1 with @entity5 is needed. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure timing of referral to outpatient palliative care and impact on end-of-life (EOL) care. DESIGN: The Comprehensive Assessment with Rapid Evaluation and Treatment (CARE Track) program is a phased intervention integrating outpatient palliative care into @entity5 care. In Year 1 @entity1 were referred at the discretion of their oncologist. SETTING: Academic medical center. MEASUREMENTS: We compared EOL hospitalization, hospice utilization, and costs of care for CARE Track @entity1 compared to those never seen by palliative care or seen only in hospital. RESULTS: @entity1 were referred a median of 72.5 days prior to @entity204 . CARE Track @entity1 had few hospitalizations at end of life, were less likely to die in hospital, had increased hospice utilization, and decreased costs of care; these results were significant even after controlling for differences between groups. Inpatient consultation alone did not impact these variables. However, only approximately half of @entity1 with incurable @entity5 were referred to this program. CONCLUSION: Referral outpatient palliative care within 3 months of @entity204 improved EOL care and reduced costs, benefits not seen with inpatient care only. However, many @entity1 were never referred, and methods of systematically identifying appropriate @entity1 are needed.

CARE Track for XXXX : Impact and Timing of an Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients'] @entity204 :: ('MESH:D003643', 'Disease') :: ['death'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['cancers', 'cancer']
@entity5 :: (MESH:D009369,Disease) :: ['Advanced Cancer']
