Palliative Care Consultations Significantly Reduce Healthcare Utilization

August 30, 2017

(OncLive) – End-of-life palliative care consultations can significantly reduce healthcare utilization, according to a broad-based population study published in the Journal of Oncology Practice (JOP). The authors said the study supports the findings of various smaller studies. The study drew on Medicare claims information from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare database (aka, SEER). It found that, following palliative care consultation, 54% of patients were less likely to receive chemotherapy, 35% were less likely to start a new chemotherapy regimen, and 24% were more likely to enroll in hospice care.