A new proactive virtual resource center navigation model identifies patient risk factors to reduce barriers to cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated cancer treatment disparities, including accessibility to resources. We describe the process and outcomes of a new proactive, virtual nurse-led, resource center navigation model enhanced by using volunteer patient navigators. Using known patient risk factors, this model provides interventions to reduce barriers to care, with an emphasis on non-English-speaking populations. METHODS: Patients were included if they (1) were in active cancer treatment and (2) had one or more known risk factors: distance from cancer hospital, needing complex care, 65 years or older, malignant hematological diagnosis, new treatment start, lives alone, non-English speaker, or a new hospital discharge. Nurse navigators triaged referrals to appropriate team members who identified and addressed barriers to care. RESULTS: The program engaged with 586 adult cancer patients over 1459 encounters. The most common risk factors included distance (59.7%), complex care (48.8%), and new treatment start (43.5%). The most common interventions were core education (69.4%), emotional support (61.2%), and education (35.7%). Statistical differences were found between Spanish-speaking (n = 118) and non-Spanish-speaking patients (n = 468). While Spanish-speaking patients had fewer risk factors (1.95 vs. 2.80, p ≤ .0001), they had nearly double the number of visits (4.27 vs. 2.04, p ≤ .0001) and 69% more interventions (8.26 vs. 4.90, p ≤ .0001). Many patients (42.7%) required follow-up visits. CONCLUSION: We successfully established a new navigation model for the resource center during the pandemic that identified and reduced barriers to care, particularly in the Spanish-speaking population.

Impact of medication therapy management programs on potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) is prevalent, costly, and harmful for older adults. These medications are to be avoided among older adults because they generally have (1) a high risk of adverse events in this population and/or (2) limited evidence of benefits in the presence of safer or more effective alternatives. Medication therapy management (MTM) programs can help address PIM use; however, there has not been a synthesis of studies examining the impact of MTM programs on PIM use. OBJECTIVE: To review published literature evaluating the impact of MTM on PIM use in older adults. METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines using MEDLINE (PubMed) studies were included if they (1) had a Medicare population, (2) were based in the United States, (3) examined an MTM program (ie, used the term "medication therapy management"), (4) focused on the impact of MTM programs on PIM use as the primary outcome, (5) had a randomized controlled trial or an observational study design, and (6) were available in English. RESULTS: Of 221 articles identified, 31 full-text articles were assessed, and 7 met all inclusion and exclusion criteria. The studies took place in various settings, ranging from single-site tertiary medical centers to multisite outpatient clinics, community pharmacies, and nationwide telehealth MTM providers. Patient populations were majority female sex (ranging from 61% to 71%) and majority White (ranging from 81% to 94%), with a mean age of 73 to 78 years. In 5 of the 7 studies, MTM reduced the use of PIMs; however, 3 did not adjust for confounding or apply a comparator group. Measurement of MTM impacts on PIM use varied across studies. Patient-level and plan-level studies mostly assessed shorter-term PIM usage reduction (4 months or less), whereas studies performed at the provider and institutional level assessed PIM usage reduction trends across consecutive measurement years. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the current limited evidence, MTM programs in older adults appear to have a positive impact on reducing PIM use. However, evidence was limited by study design, the lack of consistency in outcome measures, and a short follow-up period. Future work should adjust for confounding, apply comparator groups, include longer-term outcomes, and develop a core set of measures that can be consistently applied across studies.