Study Finds Early Palliative Care Remains Underused Among Patients with Advanced Cancer
In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers sought to understand trends in early palliative care billing and associated clinician and organization-level factors among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with advanced cancers. They found that while the billing increased in 2010-2019, utilization still remained low. They found that individual clinician- and organization- level factors (such as referral patterns and availability of palliative care teams) were significantly associated with whether there was early palliative care utilization.
As quoted in a separate piece, the study's lead author, Dr. Xin Hu, said, “One of the most striking findings from our study is who treats you and where you receive care may influence access to early palliative care more than a patient’s clinical condition.”