Promoting timely goals of care conversations between gynecologic cancer patients at high-risk of death and their providers

Abstract

Objective: We designed a multi-faceted intervention to increase the rate of outpatient goals of care (GOC) conversations in women with gynecologic cancers who are at high-risk of death.

Methods and materials: A multidisciplinary team developed an educational program around GOC conversations at end-of-life and chose criteria to prospectively identify patients at high-risk of death who might benefit from timely GOC conversations: recurrent or metastatic endometrial, cervical or vulvar cancer or platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Gynecologic oncology provider consensus was built regarding the need to improve the quality and timing of GOC conversations. Eligible outpatients were prospectively identified and providers alerted pre-encounter; timely GOC documentation within 3 visits of high-risk identification was tracked. Our institution concurrently and subsequently tracked GOC documentation during the last 6 months of life among all established oncology patients.

Results: Of 220 pilot period high-risk patients (96 pre- and 124 during pilot period 2017-2018), timely GOC discussion documentation increased from 30.2% to 88.7% (p < 0.001) and this increase was sustained over time. In the post-pilot period (2019-2020), among patients seen by oncologists during last 6 months of life, compared to other cancer types, gynecologic cancer patients had a higher rate of GOC documentation (81% versus 9%; p < 0.001), a lower rate of receiving chemotherapy during the last 14 days of life (2% vs 5%; p = 0.051), and no difference in end-of-life admissions (29% vs 31%; p = NS).

Conclusions: Implementation of systematic outpatient identification of high-risk gynecologic oncology patients is feasible, sustainable, and increases the timely conduct of GOC conversations.

Keywords: Goals of care; Gynecologic cancer; Quality.