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theoncologist (subscriber based)
Abstract
Background.
Palliative care (PC) referrals are
often delayed for patients with hematologic malignancies. We examined
the differences in
attitudes and beliefs toward PC referral between
hematologic and solid tumor specialists and how their perception
changed
with use of the service name “supportive care”
(SC).
Materials and Methods.
We randomly surveyed 120 hematologic and 120 solid tumor oncology specialists at our tertiary care cancer center to examine
their attitudes and beliefs toward PC and SC referral.
Results.
Of the 240 specialists, 182 (76%)
responded. Compared with solid tumor specialists, hematologic
specialists were less likely
to report that they would refer symptomatic
patients with newly diagnosed cancer to PC (solid tumor, 43% vs.
hematology, 21%;
p = .002). A significantly greater proportion of specialists expressed that they would refer a patient with newly diagnosed
cancer to SC than PC (solid tumor specialists: SC, 81% vs. PC, 43%; p < .001; hematology specialists: SC, 66% vs. PC, 21%; p < .001). The specialists perceived that PC was more likely than SC to be a barrier for referral (PC, 36% vs. SC, 3%; p < .001), to be synonymous with hospice (PC, 53% vs. SC, 6%; p < .001), to decrease hope (PC, 58% vs. SC, 8%; p < .001), and to be less appropriate for treatment of chemotherapy side effects (PC, 64% vs. SC, 19%; p < .001). On multivariate analysis, female clinicians (odds ratio [OR], 4.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-15.2; p = .02) and the perception that PC is a barrier for referral (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.2-7.6; p = .02) were associated with PC referral if the service name “SC” was used.
Conclusion.
Hematologic specialists were less likely to refer patients early in the disease trajectory and were conducive to referral
with the service name SC instead of PC.
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