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Despite guidelines recommending routine screening of patient symptoms after a diagnosis of cancer, 90% of patients report undertreated symptoms such as pain. Undertreated patient symptoms result in unwanted and burdensome use of acute care (such as emergency departments and hospitals). Many barriers prevent routine screening of patient symptoms such as lack of clinician time.
The goals of these series of studies were to understand if lay health workers, non-clinical personnel who are trained to conduct specific activities, can effectively assist patients with discussing and managing their symptoms with their cancer clinicians.
In partnership with a large community oncology practice in Los Angeles and Orange County and with CareMore Health, a Medicare Advantage payer organization, we enrolled CareMore Health beneficiaries with newly diagnosed cancer into the intervention.
Patients were assigned to a lay health worker or community health worker who screened patient symptoms by telephone weekly or monthly, based on need, for 12 months.
In two studies -- one in a single clinic and one in several clinics across Los Angeles and Orange County -- we found improvements in patients' overall health status, emotional and mental status, and reductions in all cancer symptoms. We also found lower use of the emergency department and hospital and lower total health care costs.
The information gathered during the study can help patients and their caregivers experience better care after a diagnosis of cancer. The results can also help clinicians, healthcare payer organizations, and policymakers promote cancer care interventions that can drastically improve patients' lives and reduce unwanted healthcare use and costs after a diagnosis of cancer.
STUDY
U.S. National Library of Medicine
Undertreated patient symptoms and resulting acute care use require approaches that improve symptom-burden. Previously a lay health worker (LHW)-led symptom screening intervention was developed for patients with cancer. In pilot work, the intervention was associated with improvements in patient symptom burden and reductions in healthcare use and costs of care at the end of life.
STUDY
U.S. National Library of Medicine
Undertreated patient symptoms and resulting acute care use require approaches that improve symptom-burden.
STUDY
Journal of Clinical Oncology
We developed and evaluated the effect of a lay health worker (LHW)-led symptom screening intervention on satisfaction, self-reported overall and mental health, health care use, total costs, and survival.
STUDY
Is a lay health worker–led screening and referral intervention associated with patient symptom burden, acute care use, and total costs of care?
