Two Innovative Cancer Care Programs Have Potential to Reduce Utilization and Spending.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Services Research
• Health Economics

Background:

• Cancer patients frequently use emergency departments (EDs) and hospitals for symptom management.
• These healthcare encounters are often avoidable and contribute significantly to healthcare spending.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of two healthcare models on cancer patient utilization and spending.
• Assessing the effectiveness of the Community Oncology Medical Home (COME HOME) and Patient Care Connect Program (PCCP) initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Utilized propensity score matching to create comparable groups of patients.
• Analyzed Medicare fee-for-service claims using difference-in-differences models.
• Examined outcomes related to emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and healthcare spending.

Main Results:

• Both COME HOME and PCCP models demonstrated significant reductions in ED visits compared to control groups.
• The COME HOME model was associated with lower overall healthcare spending.
• The PCCP model showed a significant decrease in hospitalizations, particularly among patients receiving chemotherapy.

Conclusions:

• The oncology medical home and patient navigator models effectively reduced healthcare utilization and spending.
• Implementing these innovative care models offers a promising strategy for enhancing the quality and efficiency of cancer care.