bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Health resource utilization expenditures in oncology within a virtual primary cancer survivor care clinic.
Authors: Litton Gregory J. , Librett John , Kosinski Mark , Rendas-Baum Regina , Gentile Jessica 
Published: July 2024

e13785 Background: Unprecedented cancer treatment efficacy has led to high rates of disease sequelae. Lancet recently declared the failure to care for the human dimensions of cancer treatment a "humanitarian crisis." To address this humanitarian crisis, real-world economic evidence can improve patient access to whole person care through insurance reimbursement policies. Methods: We implemented a virtual primary cancer survivor care clinic that follows ASCO and NCCN guidelines for cancer survivors with emphasis on mental health, nutrition, physical activity, and sleep optimization. Our clinic utilizes medical oncologists, physician associates, mental health therapists, registered dietitians, and occupational therapists. Patient reported outcomes (PRO) monitor health status and inform treatment pathways. To reduce test fatigue, we use the SF12 Vitality Enhanced scale (SF12v2). The SF12v2 measures physical functioning, activities of daily living, pain, vitality, social functioning, and mental health. Total medical expenditures (MEs) is the sum of payments for hospital inpatient events, emergency room visits, home care, prescribed medicines, office-based and out-patient visits, and medical equipment. Patient SF12v2 summary scores predict a patient's total MEs. A one-point better physical component summary score and mental component summary score are associated with 2% lower MEs; 3 and 5 point score increases are associated with 10% and 18% lower MEs. Results: Patients were referred from a Utah community oncology clinic, other medical clinics, or self-referred (N=99). The mean patient age was 52 years. 84% were female, 16% were male. At enrollment, 35% had started treatment, 21% were on post treatment aromatase therapy or adjuvant hormonal therapy, 65% were post treatment. Baseline PRO reveal significant disease burden: 82% report poor mental health; 72% report poor physical health; 79% report poor cognitive health; 83% report sleep disorders. For patients who completed at least three PRO measurement time points (n=54): 91% had a positive clinical outcome for mental health; 70% had a positive clinical outcome for physical health; 89% had a positive clinical outcome for cognitive health; 76% had a positive clinical outcome for sleep health. As a result of these extraordinary outcomes, 74% of patients had lower predicted MEs. The average predicted reduction in MEs was 16% with an average annual savings of $1,629.49. Conclusions: Cancer is associated with high disease sequelae and high MEs. We believe this is the first study that reports real-world clinical evidence and predicts MEs for patients enrolled in a virtual primary cancer survivor care clinic. Real-world evidence demonstrates both clinically significant improvements in HRQoL and reductions in patient MEs. These results can inform insurance reimbursement policies, ensuring equitable access to cancer survivor care.
Evidence to support ePRO-based patient care in survivorship for outpatient with advanced upper gastrointestinal cancer.
Authors: Wang Xin Shelley , Shen Shu-En , Kamal Mona , Letona Elizabeth , Cleeland Charles S. 
Published: July 2024

e13789 Background: The patients with advanced upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer reported multiple symptom burdens at diagnosis and after failing multiple chemotherapy lines. Assessing the readiness of patient-reported outcome (PRO) parameters to support evidence-based pathways for monitoring and managing outpatients is an unmet clinical need to integrate PRO into routine outpatient care for UGI cancer patients. This study aims to identify the most relevant PRO parameters that represent the high symptom burden and functioning impairment overtime during chemotherapy for advanced UGI cancer. Methods: Eligible UGI adult cancer patients (N=111) for a new line of chemotherapy were enrolled. Multiple symptoms were assessed electronically for 36 weeks, using The M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory GI module (MDASI-GI). Longitudinal symptoms burden was analyzed using mixed-effect models adjusted for age, sex, performance status (PS) (good vs. poor PS ( ECOG 0-1 vs. 2-4). Results: Patients who contributed with more than baseline PROs were included in the analysis (n=92). Of those patients, 43 were treatment-naïve, and 49 had received prior therapy. The primary tumor sites include esophageal (32%), gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) (25%), or gastric (40%). All patients at baseline reported the following symptoms at a severe level (score ≥7 on a 0-10 MDASI-GI scale): fatigue, lack of appetite, pain, disturbed sleep, drowsy, and inability to eat. There was no significant difference in the composite score of these symptoms overtime, regardless of disease groups or treatment status at baseline. Patients with poor PS reported a statistically significant severe composite score baseline ( P=.04). Patients who stayed longer in the study during their survivorship reported a decreased prevalence of moderate to severe symptoms (score of ≥ 4) from 51% at baseline to 40% at 12 weeks, 34% at 24 weeks, and to 28% at 36 weeks. Over time, treatment naïve patients had more severe numbness/tingling, while previously treated group had more severe distress. Conclusions: This longitudinal prospective study during survivorship in patients undergoing chemotherapy for advanced UGI cancer provides a set of most distressing symptom burdens that need to be monitored as part of outpatient care. These data support establishing symptom management pathways for routine use of ePRO for screening and triage of, and linking those symptoms to toxicities after chemotherapy for UGI cancer patients.
KANSURVIVE: Testing a telementoring model for improving cancer survivorship care in rural practice.
Authors: Klemp Jennifer R. , Knight Catie J. , Ellerbeck Edward F. , Befort Christie A. , Nelson Eve-Lynn , O'Dea Anne , Chalise Prabhakar , Hughes Dorothy , Greiner Allen 
Published: July 2024

e13791 Background: Cancer survivors require long-term, coordinated care to address the physical, emotional, and psychosocial effects of cancer and its treatment. KanSurvive, a single arm feasibility trial, evaluated the effectiveness of the KanSurvive ECHO intervention combined with practice facilitation (PF) to promote better adoption of evidence-based practice (EBP) survivorship care guidelines for breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer among rural survivors. Methods: Fifteen primary care clinics in Kansas (80% in RUCA codes 4-10), including 62 healthcare professionals, were invited to participate in four, 1-hour Project ECHO telementoring program held in 2021. Real-time videoconferencing sessions covered EBP survivorship guidelines for breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer. Clinics used brief plan-do-study-act cycles with PF supporting implementation of the quality improvement process. Utilizing the National Quality Forum framework, a performance indicator booklet with established measures in preventive health and cancer survivorship was developed as a data collection and quality improvement resource. Performance indicators included EBP screening actions related to cancer surveillance, lifestyle factors, distress, evidence of a review of family history of cancer, and the patient’s cancer diagnosis documented in the EHR. Results: Three clinics (7 = healthcare professionals) withdrew from the project citing competing demands and a provider leaving the practice. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed project initiation and prevented clinic visits. Recruitment and study procedures were implemented remotely. Clinic staff identified 138 cancer survivors (M = 13, IQR [6-16] per practice) seen in the year pre-intervention, and 129 survivors in the year prior to post-intervention. Pre-intervention, overall tumor surveillance was 91%, but lung cancer surveillance was lower than other tumor types at 70%. Other than surveillance, measures of baseline performance were similar across tumor types: screening for distress 84%, assessment of BMI 97%, screening for tobacco use 83% and documentation of family history 70%. Post-intervention performance indicators were similar except for documentation of family history which increased to 89% (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Standardized survivorship metrics can facilitate quality assessment as part of an ECHO-based cancer survivorship program. Although there are modest opportunities for improvement, PCPs in this study caring for rural patients perform reasonably well across a variety of cancer survivorship performance metrics comparable to national primary care quality measures. Documented assessment of family history of cancer lags other metrics and improved after participation in the KanSurvive telementoring program.
Mapping models of care for children, adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: A scoping review.
Authors: Nekhlyudov Larissa , Bradford Natalie , Thamm Carla , Skrabal Ross Xiomara , Chan Ray 
Published: July 2024

e13793 Background: Young cancer survivors, with decades of life ahead, encounter substantial risks for treatment-related late effects. Achieving optimal outcomes requires a comprehensive multi-dimensional approach. This scoping review aimed to systematically map the evidence on models of survivorship care for Child (0-14) and Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA, 15-39) cancer survivors aligning with the Framework for Quality Cancer Survivorship. Methods: Conducted according to PRISMA extension for scoping reviews, this study systematically searched MEDLINE, CINAHL and Embase for English articles from Jan 2006 to Jan 2024. Inclusion criteria were studies describing patient and health service domain for Child and AYA cancer survivorship models of care. Dual processes were used for article screening, selection, and data extraction. A deductive analysis, using Content Analysis informed results, presented in a narrative synthesis. Results: Of the 5,298 records screened 38 described Child and 10 described AYA models of care. The majority were cohort and cross-sectional studies from the USA, Canada, and the UK representing 6,101 Child and 5,283 AYA cancer survivors. Across these diverse studies, a broad range of outcomes were identified with most domains of the Framework represented. No model of care described more domains than another. Across the 13 possible elements of care and outcomes, most (68%) reported on less than five of these. The domains most represented included elements of care rather than outcomes at the service level such as the clinic structure (52%), communication and decision making (52%) and patient/carer satisfaction (50%). At the patient level, quality of life outcomes and assessment and management of physical symptoms were represented in 40% of studies. There were few studies reporting on health promotion (23%), chronic conditions (13%), mortality and healthcare utilization (5% each) and none reported on costs. In terms of outcomes, oncologist long-term follow up care showed higher adherence to risk-based recommendations compared to primary care models in some studies. Other studies suggest a shared care model increases adherence and decrease lost to follow-up. At the service level, high satisfaction with care was common in all models. Overall, there was not enough to evidence to support one model over another in either Child or AYA survivorship care. Conclusions: Despite decades of research in survivorship care, there is not enough evidence about the effectiveness and efficiency of different models of care. No single model stands out as superior, and there are notable gaps in understanding the economic and value proposition of different models. Addressing these gaps is crucial for the future development, and provision of quality survivorship care tailored for this patient population.
Time to treatment and follicular thyroid cancer survival: A SEER database analysis.
Authors: Cogua Laura , Tupper Connor , Silberstein Peter T. 
Published: July 2024

e13794 Background: Follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) is a prevalent endocrine malignancy, typically managed with surgical resection. Few studies have investigated the optimal time of surgery for FTC at a national registry level. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of delaying surgical intervention on survival in FTC. Methods: Patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database who were diagnosed with FTC between 2000-2020 were selected. Additional variables were collected including age, sex, race, stage, surgical status, radiation status, time to treatment, household income, and population size. Kaplan-Meier, and one- and five-year logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: A total of 10,478 patients were included of which 95.5% underwent surgical management. There was a 98.3% and 96.4% survival rate at one- and five-years, respectively. On Kaplan-Meier, those who underwent surgery survived longer (p<0.001). Additionally, patients treated within one month of diagnosis survived significantly better than those treated later (p<0.001). On one-year logistic regression, higher staging was associated with worse survival while those who received surgery, radiation, and lived in counties with a median household income >$75,000 had better survival (p’s<0.05). On five-year logistic regression, patients older than 50 years old and higher staging were associated with worse survival while those who received surgery had better survival (p’s<0.001). No differences were observed for time to treatment at one or five years. Conclusions: Our results show that surgical management is associated with improved survival in patients with FTC. On univariate analysis, a duration of one month or less between diagnosis and treatment was associated with improved survival. However, on multivariate analysis, only surgical management, radiation, and median household income >$75,000 were associated with improved survival.
Understanding and comparing the views of specialty care providers and PCPs on addressing cancer survivorship needs via survivorship care plan portal.
Authors: Haggstrom David Andrew , Swaminathan Manasa , Donnelly Claire E , Cottingham Ann H. , Vachon Eric , Faidley Micah T. 
Published: July 2024

e13799 Background: Individuals with colorectal cancer (CRC) experience persistent and disabling symptoms across the care trajectory. Consequently, Survivorship Care Plans (SCPs) have been developed to assist patients in navigating these experiences. However, there are mixed results regarding its effectiveness and implementation in helping cancer survivors. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore and compare the attitudes of cancer specialists and PCPs on current practices for survivorship care coordination, and to identify potential barriers and facilitators to implementing a SCP-PHR tool. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 providers involved in cancer care, including specialty care providers (n=16) and primary care providers (n=6). The interview guide was based upon the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The current analysis focused solely on the “tension for change” domain. Two researchers analyzed individual transcripts using a combined thematic approach (inductive and deductive) to identify common themes and important findings. Results: While multiple barriers were identified, care coordination/communication among different specialties emerged as a notable challenge. Providers indicated that a lack of well-defined responsibilities between various specialties led to challenges in providing proper follow-up care. Most providers had not routinely utilized SCPs in their practice. Several specialty care providers expressed uncertainty about who handles follow-up care (n=11; 68.7%) while others believed that PCPs or nurses should bear that responsibility (n=5; 31.2%). In contrast, many PCPs voiced that follow-up care responsibility should fall to oncologists (n= 5, 83.3%) due to provider burden and lack of familiarity with cancer symptomatology. As a result, providers noted that patients are not receiving adequate information about their care and are unaware of their treatment needs. Specialty care providers expressed concerns that areas of non-cancer symptom management and preventive care are not being adequately addressed alongside cancer-specific symptoms. Primary care providers echoed similar concerns and noted that care tools, like SCP-PHRs and warm hand-offs, could be implemented to address these concerns. Conclusions: Barriers surrounding survivorship care coordination underscore the need for creating a efficient SCP-PHRs, as providers seek support in providing care information to patients. Providers suggested a virtual platform should be structured in a concise format that delivers comprehensive information tailored to individual needs and addresses symptoms across all stages of their cancer continuum. Future studies may focus on understanding differences in perspectives among those who have actively engaged with SCPs in their care practices.
Feasibility of using simple diet self-assessment tool (SDSAT) to establish trajectory of dietary intake for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Authors: Cong Ming-Hua 
Published: July 2024

e13805 Background: Chemotherapy is often accompanied by impaired dietary intake, which is associated with poor clinical outcomes without effective intervention. Predicting dietary changes during chemotherapy enables early nutritional support, but the dynamic pattern and interindividual variability in dietary intake during chemotherapy remain unclear. Our aim was thus to assess the feasibility of using the Simple Diet Self-Assessment Tool (SDSAT) to establish dietary intake trajectories in patients receiving chemotherapy. Methods: This study used data from an ongoing, prospective cohort study (Patient-Reported Outcome Management Including Surveillance and Intervention in Nutritional Group) of patients receiving chemotherapy in 2021 and 2022. Diet was assessed using the SDSAT once before the treatment and at least three times during one chemotherapy cycle. We applied a group-based trajectory model to identify trajectories of dietary intake. The 24-hour dietary recall (24HR) was used to verify the validity of energy and protein intake estimated by SDSAT; compliance with SDSAT was also assessed. Results: Five trajectory groups were identified for food intake based on 217 entries by 56 patients. The compliance rate accounted for 81.11% for ≥4 cumulative responses per cycle. The agreement between the SDSAT score and the dietary energy and protein intake estimated from 24HR was high (κ: 0.888–1.0, P<0.001). Groups 1 and 2 had significantly lower dietary energy/protein intake than Groups 4 and 5 (P<0.001) but with distinct dietary patterns. Group 4 was the most common dietary trajectory (35.10%). Furthermore, Groups 1, 2, and 3 had significantly weaker handgrip strength (OR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.02–1.22, P=0.016) compared with Groups 4 and 5. Conclusions: SDSAT was feasible to establish dietary trajectories during one chemotherapy cycle. Longitudinal analysis highlights the interindividual differences in dietary intake patterns among patients receiving chemotherapy and may help to inform proactive and individually tailored nutritional interventions.
Rural palliative care in cancer: Using telemedicine to bridge the gap.
Authors: Noreika Danielle 
Published: July 2024

e13807 Background: Despite the rapid growth in palliative care (PC) services, many rural regions remain without access to specialty palliative care. Community-based telemedicine may offer solutions to underserved populations from rural areas within the United States. Methods: This is a retrospective review of the creation of 2 separate rural clinics attached to the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center at CMH in South Hill, VA in 2018 (with interruption related to the Covid-19 pandemic) and in Tappahannock, VA in 2021. In addition to operational descriptions a chart review was conducted of all encounters for these clinics. Care provided was coordinated by the University PC service and the oncology clinics, including nurses and oncologists. Regulatory, legal, Information Technology (IT), and systems logistics were developed in partnership for 6-9 months prior to each pilot. There were over 100 encounters from the two periods of care for CMH (2018 until paused for pandemic towards the end of 2020; and March of 2021 to current) and greater than 50 at Tappahannock. All visits were conducted in the rural oncology clinics with assistance of oncology nursing during the encounter. Results: The average patient age was 57, and over 90% had solid tumors. On average, patients had 1-2 telemedicine visits. The most common reason for referral was symptom management, predominantly pain. Edmonton Symptom Assessment scales were collected at all visits by oncology nursing. Physical exams were completed with electronic stethoscopes and supported by oncology nursing. Medications were prescribed to rural pharmacies electronically directly by the PC physician; for the periods of clinic over the course of the Covid-19 public health emergency this included prescriptions for controlled substances (almost exclusively long and short acting opioids). For patients requiring advance care planning documents were completed electronically or by trained interdisciplinary team members in clinic in partnership with the PC physician. Technological issues occurred rarely (less than 1% of visits) and resolved without IT involvement. Conclusions: Our pilot program integrated specialist palliative care into two rural oncology clinics providing supportive care, including symptom management and goals of care discussions. Further research should define optimal integration of PC telemedicine into rural oncology.