Family physicians' involvement in palliative cancer care.

BACKGROUND: Family physicians' (FPs) long-term relationships with their oncology patients position them ideally to provide primary palliative care, yet their involvement is variable. We examined perceptions of FP involvement among outpatients receiving palliative care at a cancer center and identified factors associated with this involvement. METHODS: Patients with advanced cancer attending an oncology palliative care clinic (OPCC) completed a 25-item survey. Eligible patients had seen an FP within 5 years. Binary multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with (1) having seen an FP for palliative care within 6 months, and (2) having a scheduled/planned FP appointment. RESULTS: Of 258 patients, 35.2% (89/253) had seen an FP for palliative care within the preceding 6 months, and 51.2% (130/254) had a scheduled/planned FP appointment. Shorter travel time to FP (odds ratio [OR] = 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.48-0.93, p = 0.02), the FP having a 24-h support service (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.02-3.76, p = 0.04), and a positive perception of FP's care (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.01-1.09, p = 0.01) were associated with having seen the FP for palliative care. English as a first language (OR = 2.90, 95% CI = 1.04-8.11, p = 0.04) and greater ease contacting FP after hours (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.08-1.64, p = 0.008) were positively associated, and female sex of patient (OR = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.30-0.87, p = 0.01) and travel time to FP (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.47-0.93, p = 0.02) negatively associated with having a scheduled/planned FP appointment. Number of OPCC visits was not associated with either outcome. CONCLUSION: Most patients had not seen an FP for palliative care. Accessibility, availability, and equity are important factors to consider when planning interventions to encourage and facilitate access to FPs for palliative care.

HeartFull: Feasibility of an Integrated Program of Care for Patients with Advanced Stage of Heart Failure.

INTRODUCTION: Patients at an advanced stage of heart failure (AHF), specifically chronic severe symptomatic heart failure defined as New York Heart Association III/IV with hospitalization in the year prior, have high mortality, healthcare utilization, and low palliative care involvement. OBJECTIVES: The primary objectives were to determine the feasibility of recruiting patients and engaging cardiology and palliative healthcare providers in a program of integrated care for AHF (HeartFull); the proportion of patients who died in non-acute care settings. Secondary objectives were to describe patient-reported outcomes and pre-post comparison of healthcare utilization. METHODS: Patients were recruited from an urban academic hospital with expert heart failure care and a 24/7 inpatient and home palliative service. Utilization, disposition, and surveys were collected monthly for up to 20 months. RESULTS: Of 46 patients referred, 30 (65%) agreed to participate, 27 died during the study period, 19 (70%) died in non-acute care settings, while 8 (30%) died in hospital. We found no significant difference in pre- and post-intervention rates of hospitalization (RR .715; CI .360, 1.388; P = .3180), nor emergency visits (RR .678; CI .333, 1.338; P = .2590), but both trended downward. No significant changes were observed in patient-reported outcomes. CONCLUSION: In an urban academic hospital with palliative care, it was feasible to implement an integrated program for AHF. Patients died at home or in a palliative care unit at rates similar to palliative oncology patients and at higher rates than the general AHF population. HeartFull is now part of clinical practice.

Opioid safety recommendations in adult palliative medicine: a North American Delphi expert consensus.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the escalating public health emergency related to opioid-related deaths in Canada and the USA, opioids are essential for palliative care (PC) symptom management.Opioid safety is the prevention, identification and management of opioid-related harms. The Delphi technique was used to develop expert consensus recommendations about how to promote opioid safety in adults receiving PC in Canada and the USA. METHODS: Through a Delphi process comprised of two rounds, USA and Canadian panellists in PC, addiction and pain medicine developed expert consensus recommendations. Elected Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians (CSPCP) board members then rated how important it is for PC physicians to be aware of each consensus recommendation.They also identified high-priority research areas from the topics that did not achieve consensus in Round 2. RESULTS: The panellists (Round 1, n=23; Round 2, n=22) developed a total of 130 recommendations from the two rounds about the following six opioid-safety related domains: (1) General principles; (2) Measures for healthcare institution and PC training and clinical programmes; (3) Patient and caregiver assessments; (4) Prescribing practices; (5) Monitoring; and (6) Patients and caregiver education. Fifty-nine topics did not achieve consensus and were deemed potential areas of research. From these results, CSPCP identified 43 high-priority recommendations and 8 high-priority research areas. CONCLUSIONS: Urgent guidance about opioid safety is needed to address the opioid crisis. These consensus recommendations can promote safer opioid use, while recognising the importance of these medications for PC symptom management.

The association between varying levels of palliative care involvement on costs during terminal hospitalizations in Canada from 2012 to 2015.

BACKGROUND: Inpatient palliative care is associated with lower inpatient costs; however, this has yet to be studied using a more nuanced, multi-tiered measure of inpatient palliative care and a national population-representative dataset. Using a population-based cohort of Canadians who died in hospital, our objectives were to: describe patients' receipt of palliative care and active interventions in their terminal hospitalization; and examine the relationship between inpatient palliative care and hospitalization costs. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study using data from the Discharge Abstract Database in Canada between fiscal years 2012 and 2015. The cohort were Canadian adults (age ≥ 18 years) who died in hospital between April 1st, 2012 and March 31st, 2015 (N = 250,640). The exposure was level of palliative care involvement defined as: medium-high, low, or no palliative care. The main measure was acute care costs calculated using resource intensity weights multiplied by the cost of standard hospital stay, represented in 2014 Canadian dollars (CAD). Descriptive statistics were represented as median (IQR), and n(%). We modelled cost as a function of palliative care using a gamma generalized estimating equation (GEE) model, accounting for clustering by hospital. RESULTS: There were 250,640 adults who died in hospital. Mean age was 76 (SD 14), 47% were female. The most common comorbidities were: metastatic cancer (21%), heart failure (21%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (16%). Of the decedents, 95,450 (38%) had no palliative care involvement, 98,849 (38%) received low involvement, and 60,341 (24%) received medium to high involvement. Controlling for age, sex, province and predicted hospital mortality risk at admission, the cost per day of a terminal hospitalization was: $1359 (95% CI 1323: 1397) (no involvement), $1175 (95% CI 1146: 1206) (low involvement), and $744 (95% CI 728: 760) (medium-high involvement). CONCLUSIONS: Increased involvement of palliative care was associated with lower costs. Future research should explore whether this relationship holds for non-terminal hospitalizations, and whether palliative care in other settings impacts inpatient costs.

Deprescribing in the Home Palliative Setting.

Background: When patients' goals of care have shifted toward comfort, treatment should focus on alleviating symptoms rather than prolonging life at the expense of comfort. Objective: To determine whether the number of noncomfort medications is associated with deprescribing in patients seen by a home-visiting palliative care physician. Design: Single-centre retrospective chart review of patients cared for in the home setting by a specialty palliative care program to determine factors associated with deprescribing. All medications on initial consult were classified as comfort, possibly for comfort, and definitely not for comfort (DNC). Patients were stratified depending on whether intentional deprescribing occurred. Data were analyzed for associations between deprescribing and other variables: number and proportion of DNC medications, diagnosis, palliative performance scale (PPS), number of encounters, code status, preferred place of death, and time to death. Setting: Study population included 80 patients followed by specialist home-visiting palliative physicians in a tertiary center. Inclusion criteria were adult patients with PPS ≤60%, initially seen by a home-visiting palliative physician between 2016 and 2018 and followed for at least 60 days or until death. Results: Deprescribing occurred in 44% of study patients within 60 days. Median number of DNC medications was 3 in the deprescribed group and 0 in the nondeprescribed group (p < 0.001). Proportion of DNC medications was 29% in the deprescribed group and 15% in the nondeprescribed group (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Deprescribing is associated with an increased number and proportion of DNC medications at the time of initial in-home palliative assessment. Deprescribing rates varied greatly between different home-visiting palliative providers.

Transitions in Labour Force Participation over the Palliative Care Trajectory.

BACKGROUND: Home-based palliative programs rely on family caregivers, who often miss time from employment. This article identified changes in caregivers' labour force participation over the palliative trajectory. METHODS: Family caregivers (n = 262) were interviewed biweekly to measure transitions across four employment categories. RESULTS: More than half of the caregivers had one employment transition and 29% had three or more. The highest proportion of transitions occurred for caregivers who were employed part-time. INTERPRETATION: Understanding these transitions is critical to the development of strategies tailored to caregivers to contain labour force losses and to support caregivers during a time of high caregiving demands.

Residents' reflections on end-of-life conversations: how a palliative care clinical rotation creates meaningful learning opportunities.

BACKGROUND: Good communication at the end-of-life is important for patient outcomes and satisfaction. However, many healthcare providers are hesitant to engage in these conversations due to inadequate training. Classroom and bedside palliative care training have been effective in improving resident communication with patients at the end-of-life, yet the educational mechanisms that promote development remain uncharacterized. The purpose of this study was to better understand how family medicine residents are trained to have goals of care (GOC) conversations during a clinical rotation at a specialized palliative care center. METHODS: We conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with first- and second-year family medicine residents who completed a 4-week palliative care rotation at a specialized palliative care center between July 2013 and June 2014. We asked residents about their educational experiences during the rotation, which included both inpatient and home-visit experiences. Using thematic analysis, we identified and described recurrent experiences reported by participants related to their exposure to and development of GOC conversations. RESULTS: Participants reported feeling more comfortable approaching GOC conversations at the end of the rotation. Residents noted two elements of their training experience that may have facilitated this development: a constructive learning environment that included time and support during and after GOC conversations, and learning activities that provided various levels of supervision and independence. CONCLUSIONS: A palliative care rotation may be an optimal environment for developing GOC conversation skills. Direct observation of learners and fewer time pressures provide important opportunities for mentoring, support, feedback and reflection, which were all noted to facilitate GOC conversation development.

The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Place of Death Among Patients Receiving Home Palliative Care in Toronto, Canada: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic disparities in home death have been noted in the literature. Home-based palliative care increases access to home death and has been suggested as a means to decrease these disparities. AIM: Our study examines the association between socioeconomic status and other demographic factors on place of death in a population receiving home palliative care in Toronto, Canada. DESIGN: This is a retrospective chart review of patients who died between August 2013 and August 2015 when admitted to a home-based palliative care service. Multivariate multinomial regression examined the relationship between the place of death (home, palliative care unit [PCU], or acute care) with age, gender, primary diagnosis, and income quintile. Bivariate logistic regression was fitted to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and probability of preference for home death. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Patients receiving home-based palliative care services from the Latner Centre for Palliative Care in Toronto, Canada. RESULTS: A total of 2066 patients were included in multivariate analysis. Patients in the lowest income quintile had increased odds of dying in acute care (OR = 2.41, P < .001) or dying in PCU (OR = 1.64, P = .008) than patients in highest income quintile. Patients in the next lowest income quintiles 2 and 3 were also more likely to die in acute care. The rate of preference for home death was significantly lower in the lowest income quintile (OR = 0.47, P = .0047). CONCLUSIONS: Patients in lower income quintiles are less likely to die at home, despite receiving home-based palliative care, although they may also be less likely to prefer home death.

Loss of relationship: a qualitative study of families and healthcare providers after patient death and home-based palliative care ends.

BACKGROUND: Home-based palliative care is care of the patient in their home, while doctors and other healthcare providers (HCPs) make visits as required. Family involvement naturally cultivates a relationship between HCPs and the family. Once the patient dies and home-based palliative care ends, this relationship is abruptly terminated, which may be challenging to both the family and the HCPs. The objective of this study was to understand the thoughts and opinions of HCPs and families on their encountered loss of relationship at the end of home-based palliative care. METHODS: Perceptions of 63 participants (32 HCPs and 31 family members) were explored using semi-structured interviews and the qualitative research methodologies of grounded theory. HCPs were interviewed at the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care (TLCPC), a home-based palliative care group of physicians, and 2 hospitals in Toronto, while family members were recruited from TLCPC's records of deceased patients. RESULTS: Six overarching themes, relating to HCP-family relationship dynamics, the experience of loss of relationship, and potential solutions, were derived from the data: (I) home palliative care is intimate; (II) dissatisfaction is experienced with abrupt relationship ending; (III) families benefit from open communication, especially after patient death; (IV) HCPs recognize the insufficiency in bereavement resources; (V) benefits are recognized for a system to ease loss of relationship, and lastly; (VI) challenges with introducing such a system concern HCP. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, families and HCPs do not like the loss of relationship post-patient death, and recognize the potential benefits of an approach that would allow for communication going forward.

User-Centered Design of a Web-Based Tool to Support Management of Chemotherapy-Related Toxicities in Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy have high symptom needs that can negatively impact quality of life and result in high rates of unplanned acute care visits. Remote monitoring tools may improve symptom management in this patient population. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to design a prototype tool to facilitate remote management of chemotherapy-related toxicities. METHODS: User needs were assessed using a participatory, user-centered design methodology that included field observation, interviews, and focus groups, and then analyzed using affinity diagramming. Participants included oncology patients, caregivers, and health care providers (HCPs) including medical oncologists, oncology nurses, primary care physicians, and pharmacists in Ontario, Canada. Overarching themes informed development of a Web-based prototype, which was further refined over 2 rounds of usability testing with end users. RESULTS: Overarching themes were derived from needs assessments, which included 14 patients, 1 caregiver, and 12 HCPs. Themes common to both patients and HCPs included gaps and barriers in current systems, need for decision aids, improved communication and options in care delivery, secure access to credible and timely information, and integration into existing systems. In addition, patients identified missed opportunities, care not meeting their needs, feeling overwhelmed and anxious, and wanting to be more empowered. HCPs identified accountability for patient management as an issue. These themes informed development of a Web-based prototype (bridges), which included toxicity tracking, self-management advice, and HCP communication functionalities. Usability testing with 11 patients and 11 HCPs was generally positive; however, identified challenges included tool integration into existing workflows, need for standardized toxicity self-management advice, issues of privacy and consent, and patient-tailored information. CONCLUSIONS: Web-based tools integrating just-in-time self-management advice and HCP support into routine care may address gaps in systems for managing chemotherapy-related toxicities. Attention to the integration of new electronic tools into self-care by patients and practice was a strong theme for both patients and HCP participants and is a key issue that needs to be addressed for wide-scale adoption.

Providing Medical Assistance in Dying within a Home Palliative Care Program in Toronto, Canada: An Observational Study of the First Year of Experience.

BACKGROUND: Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) was legalized in Canada in June 2016. There are no documented experiences of MAiD provision within a home palliative care program. The majority of palliative care physicians in Canada object to MAiD. As one of the largest home-based palliative care providers in Canada, the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care (TLCPC) developed processes to implement MAiD provision within a home palliative care team with diverse attitudes toward MAiD. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the feasibility of providing MAiD within a home palliative care setting and describe the population that received MAiD in the first year of legalization. DESIGN: A retrospective chart review identified patients who received or were assessed for MAiD and had a known outcome between June 17, 2016 and June 30, 2017. SETTING/SUBJECTS: Patients receiving home-based palliative care. MEASUREMENTS: Data extracted included age, gender, primary diagnosis, length of time receiving home-based palliative care, and final clinical outcome. RESULTS: Of the 45 patients who were assessed for MAiD, 27 (60%) received MAiD and 18 (40%) did not. The mean age was 74 (range 20-95), 24 (53%) were male, and 33 (73%) had cancer as a primary diagnosis. These 27 patients represent 1.2% of our total patient population during this time period. CONCLUSIONS: MAiD was accessed by 1.2% of the patients within a home palliative care center in the first year of legalization. Patient demographics were consistent with those documented elsewhere. The TLCPC process accommodates the diverse viewpoints of clinicians and emphasizes continuity of palliative care provision.

National Impact of the EPEC-Pediatrics Enhanced Train-the-Trainer Model for Delivering Education on Pediatric Palliative Care.

BACKGROUND: Lack of pediatric palliative care (PPC) training impedes successful integration of PPC principles into pediatric oncology. OBJECTIVES: We examined the impact of an enhanced implementation of the Education in Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Pediatrics (EPEC®-Pediatrics) curriculum on the following: (1) knowledge dissemination; (2) health professionals' knowledge; (3) practice change; and (4) quality of PPC. DESIGN: An integrated knowledge translation approach was used with pre-/posttest evaluation of care quality. Setting/Subjects/Measurements: Regional Teams of 3-6 health professionals based at 15 pediatric oncology programs in Canada became EPEC-Pediatrics Trainers who taught the curriculum to health professionals (learners) and implemented quality improvement (QI) projects. Trainers recorded the number of learners at each education session and progress on QI goals. Learners completed knowledge surveys. Care quality was assessed through surveys with a cross-sectional sample of children with cancer and their parents about symptoms, quality of life, and care quality plus reviews of deceased patients' health records. RESULTS: Seventy-two Trainers taught 3475 learners; the majority (96.7%) agreed that their PPC knowledge improved. In addition, 10/15 sites achieved practice change QI goals. The only improvements in care quality were an increased number of days from referral to PPC teams until death by a factor of 1.54 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17-2.03) and from first documentation of advance care planning until death by a factor of 1.50 (95% CI = 1.06-2.11), after adjusting for background variables. CONCLUSION: While improvements in care quality were only seen in two areas, our approach was highly effective in achieving knowledge dissemination, knowledge improvement, and practice change goals.

Comparison of Opioid Prescribing Among Cancer and Noncancer Patients Aged 18-64: Analysis Using Administrative Data.

BACKGROUND: Opioid prescribing has been increasingly scrutinized among noncancer patients. As an unintended consequence, opioids may be underprescribed for cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to compare trends in opioid prescribing in younger adults with and without cancer. METHODS: From 2004 to 2013, Ontario residents aged 18-64 years eligible for government paid pharmacare were annually stratified into three groups: no cancer history, cancer diagnosis more than five years ago, and cancer diagnosis five years ago and less. We evaluated time trends in two annual outcomes: opioid prescription rate and mean daily opioid dose. RESULTS: In 2013, 800,371 individuals were eligible for this study (3% with recent cancer and 2% with remote cancer). Across all years, compared with noncancer patients, overall opioid prescription rates were 43% and 26% higher for those with recent and remote cancer, respectively. Overall, a 1% relative annual increase was seen in those without cancer and a 1% decrease was seen in those with a recent cancer. Changes in prescription rates varied with drug class and cancer group. Notably, long-acting opioids had a relative annual increase of 7% in noncancer patients vs. 2% in recent cancer patients. Immediate-release combination agents had a relative annual decrease of 2% for all cancer groups. Trends in mean daily dose were similar between groups, but by 2013, they were lowest in recent cancer patients, regardless of drug class. INTERPRETATION: Secular trends in opioid prescribing affect cancer and noncancer patients similarly. Further research is required to assess the potential impact on symptom management.

Disruption or innovation? A qualitative descriptive study on the use of electronic patient-physician communication in patients with advanced cancer.

PURPOSE: In the advanced cancer context, care coordination is often inadequate, leading to suboptimal continuity of care. We evaluated an electronic web-based tool which assembles the patient, their caregivers, and their healthcare providers in a virtual space for team-based communication. We sought to understand participant perceptions on electronic communication in general and the added value of the new tool in particular. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative descriptive study with participants (patients, caregivers, cancer physicians) who participated in a 3-month pilot trial evaluating the tool. Interviews were thematically analyzed and the perspectives from patients, caregivers, and cancer physicians were triangulated. Interviews from six patients, five of their caregivers, and seven cancer physicians conducted alongside monthly outcome assessments were analyzed. RESULTS: We identified five themes relating participants' perspectives on electronic communication to their experience of care: (1) apparent gaps in care, (2) uncertainty in defining the circle of care, (3) relational aspects of communication, (4) incongruence between technology and social norms of patient-physician communication, and (5) appreciation but apprehension about the team-based communication tool for improving the experience of care. CONCLUSIONS: The potential of tools for electronic communication to bring together a team of healthcare providers with the patient and caregivers is significant but may pose new challenges to existing team structure and interpersonal dynamics. Patients and physicians were worried about the impact that electronic communication may have on the patient-physician relationship. Implementation approaches, which build on the relationship and integrate the team as a whole, could positively position electronic communication to enhance the team-based care.

The Perceived Ease of Use and Usefulness of Loop: Evaluation and Content Analysis of a Web-Based Clinical Collaboration System.

BACKGROUND: Patients with complex health care needs require the expertise of many health care providers. Communication, collaboration, and patient-centered care positively impact care quality and patient outcomes. Few technologies exist that facilitate collaboration between providers across settings of care and also engage the patient. We developed a Web-based clinical collaboration system, Loop, to address this gap. The likelihood of a technological system's uptake is associated with its perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. We engaged stakeholders in the conceptualization and development of Loop in an effort to maximize its intuitiveness and utility. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to report end users' perceptions about the ease of use and usefulness of Loop captured during usability tests of Loop. METHODS: Participants represented three user types (patients, caregivers, and health care providers) recruited from three populations (adults with cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer, and children with medical complexity). We conducted usability testing over three iterative cycles of testing and development in both laboratory-based and off-site environments. We performed a content analysis of usability testing transcripts to summarize and describe participant perceptions about the ease of use and usefulness of Loop. RESULTS: Participants enjoyed testing Loop and were able to use the core functions-composing, posting, and reading messages-with little difficulty. They had difficulty interpreting certain visual cues and design elements or the purpose of some features. This difficulty negatively impacted perceived ease of use but was primarily limited to auxiliary features. Participants predicted that Loop could improve the efficiency and effectiveness of communication between care team members; however, this perceived usefulness could be compromised by disruptions to personal workflow such as additional time or task requirements. CONCLUSIONS: Loop was perceived to have value as a collaboration system; however, usability testing findings indicate that some design and functional elements need to be addressed to improve ease of use. Additionally, participant concerns highlight the need to consider how a system can be implemented so as to minimize impact on workflow and optimize usefulness.

Has Province-Wide Symptom Screening Changed Opioid Prescribing Rates in Older Patients With Cancer?

PURPOSE: Previous work in Ontario demonstrated that 33% of patients with cancer with severe pain did not receive opioids at the time of their pain assessment. With efforts to increase symptom screening and management since then, the objective of this study was to examine temporal trends in opioid prescribing. METHODS: The cohort was comprised of Ontario residents ≥ 65 years of age with a cancer history who were eligible for the government pharmacare program and had a pain assessment using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System. Use of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System is part of a provincial initiative to screen ambulatory patients with cancer for symptoms. Annually between 2007 and 2013, we used the date of an individual's highest pain score as the index date to calculate annual opioid prescription rates for claims within 30 days before and up to 7 days after the index date. A logistic regression model evaluated the association between index year and odds of receiving an opioid prescription. RESULTS: During the study period, the number of individuals undergoing symptom assessment annually increased more than eight-fold. Opioid prescription rates were directly related to pain scores, but there was an annual 5% relative decrease in the odds of receiving an opioid prescription during the era from 2009 to 2013. CONCLUSION: We are doing better at screening for pain, but this has not led to an increase in analgesic intervention for those identified. Additional work is required to determine what opioid prescribing rate is optimal to ensure we are not missing opportunities to improve patient comfort.

Approach to advanced heart failure at the end of life.

OBJECTIVE: To outline symptom management in, as well as offer a home-based protocol for, patients with advanced heart failure (HF). SOURCES OF INFORMATION: The terms palliative care and heart failure were searched in PubMed and relevant databases. All articles were reviewed. The specific medical management protocol was developed by the "HeartFull" collaborative team at the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care in Toronto, Ont. MAIN MESSAGE: Educating patients about advanced HF and helping them understand their illness and illness trajectory can foster end-of-life discussions. Home-based care of patients with advanced HF that includes optimizing diuresis can lead to improved symptom management. It is also hoped that it can reduce both patient and health care system burden and result in greater health-related quality of life for patients with advanced HF. CONCLUSION: This article provides an overview of how to manage common symptoms in patients with advanced HF. The home diuresis protocol with guidelines for oral and intravenous diuretic therapy is available at CFPlus.

Engagement of Primary Care Physicians in Home Palliative Care.

PURPOSE: To describe prevalence and characteristics associated with family physician and general practitioner (FP/GP) provision of home palliative care (HPC). METHODS: We surveyed FP/GPs in an urban health region of Ontario, Canada, to determine their current involvement in HPC, the nature of services provided, and perceived barriers and enablers. RESULTS: A total of 1439 surveys were mailed. Of the 302 FP/GP respondents, 295 provided replies regarding engagement in HPC: 101 of 295 (33%) provided HPC, 76 (26%) were engageable with further support, and 118 (40%) were not engageable regardless of support. The most substantial barrier was time to provide home visits (81%). Engaged FP/GPs were most likely to be working with another physician providing HPC ( P < .0001). Engageable FP/GPs were younger ( P = .007) and placed greater value on improved remuneration ( P < .001) than the other groups. Nonengageable physicians were most likely to view time as a barrier ( P < .0001) and to lack interest in PC ( P = .03). CONCLUSION: One-third of FP/GPs provide HPC. A cohort of younger physicians could be engageable with adequate support. Integrated practices including collaboration with specialist PC colleagues should be encouraged and supported.

My Team of Care Study: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Web-Based Communication Tool for Collaborative Care in Patients With Advanced Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The management of patients with complex care needs requires the expertise of health care providers from multiple settings and specialties. As such, there is a need for cross-setting, cross-disciplinary solutions that address deficits in communication and continuity of care. We have developed a Web-based tool for clinical collaboration, called Loop, which assembles the patient and care team in a virtual space for the purpose of facilitating communication around care management. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this pilot study were to evaluate the feasibility of integrating a tool like Loop into current care practices and to capture preliminary measures of the effect of Loop on continuity of care, quality of care, symptom distress, and health care utilization. METHODS: We conducted an open-label pilot cluster randomized controlled trial allocating patients with advanced cancer (defined as stage III or IV disease) with ≥3 months prognosis, their participating health care team and caregivers to receive either the Loop intervention or usual care. Outcome data were collected from patients on a monthly basis for 3 months. Trial feasibility was measured with rate of uptake, as well as recruitment and system usage. The Picker Continuity of Care subscale, Palliative care Outcomes Scale, Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, and Ambulatory and Home Care Record were patient self-reported measures of continuity of care, quality of care, symptom distress, and health services utilization, respectively. We conducted a content analysis of messages posted on Loop to understand how the system was used. RESULTS: Nineteen physicians (oncologists or palliative care physicians) were randomized to the intervention or control arms. One hundred twenty-seven of their patients with advanced cancer were approached and 48 patients enrolled. Of 24 patients in the intervention arm, 20 (83.3%) registered onto Loop. In the intervention and control arms, 12 and 11 patients completed three months of follow-up, respectively. A mean of 1.2 (range: 0 to 4) additional healthcare providers with an average total of 3 healthcare providers participated per team. An unadjusted between-arm increase of +11.4 was observed on the Picker scale in favor of the intervention arm. Other measures showed negligible changes. Loop was primarily used for medical care management, symptom reporting, and appointment coordination. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that implementation of Loop was feasible. It provides useful information for planning future studies further examining effectiveness and team collaboration. Numerically higher scores were observed for the Loop arm relative to the control arm with respect to continuity of care. Future work is required to understand the incentives and barriers to participation so that the implementation of tools like Loop can be optimized. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02372994; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02372994 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6r00L4Skb).

Opioid Prescribing Among Cancer and Non-cancer Patients: Time Trend Analysis in the Elderly Using Administrative Data.

CONTEXT: In 2007, Cancer Care Ontario introduced a provincial symptom screening program, which included pain, for cancer patients. Over this same time, opioid prescribing has been increasingly scrutinized among non-cancer patients. The study purpose was to see if opioid prescribing changed among older adults after 2007 in the context of changing opioid regulations, and whether effects were different among patients with a cancer history. METHODS: Ontario residents aged ≥65 years were identified from 2004 to 2013. Subjects were annually stratified into three groups: no cancer history, cancer diagnosis >5 years ago, and cancer diagnosis ≤5 years ago. We evaluated time trends by year for: 1) opioid prescription rate, comparing trends before and after 2007 and 2) mean daily opioid dose. RESULTS: Between 2004 and 2013, opioid prescribing was relatively constant for cancer patients with no observed change in trends after 2007. For non-cancer patients, there was a 2% relative annual increase during this period. Significant changes were seen for opioid sub-classes (e.g., decreasing use of long-acting oxycodone). These were similar for those with or without a history of cancer. Among all groups, changes in the mean daily dose over time were similar in all drug classes. CONCLUSION: Overall prescribing rates for cancer patients aged ≥65 years remain unchanged over time, in spite of the introduction of a provincial symptom screening program. Decreasing prescription rates in some drug sub-classes were observed. The potential impact of these changes on the quality of symptom control for cancer patients needs further investigation.