Trends in Patient Volume by Hospital Type and the Association of These Trends With Time to Cancer Treatment Initiation

Autor: Bryan E. Palis, Matthew A. Facktor, Heidi Nelson, Nandita Mitra, Justin E. Bekelman, Nicholas Illenberger, Samuel U Takvorian, Daniel J. Boffa, Lawrence N. Shulman, Zachary A K Frosch
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: JAMA Network Open
ISSN: 2574-3805
Popis: This cross-sectional study uses data from the National Cancer Database to investigate trends in patient volume by hospital type and the association of patient volume with time to treatment initiation for patients with cancer by hospital type.
Key Points Question Is the number of patients with cancer who are treated at referral centers increasing, and are more rapid increases in patient volume associated with treatment delays? Findings In this cross-sectional study of 4 218 577 patients treated for an incident cancer at 1351 hospitals from 2007 to 2016, patient volume increased more rapidly at National Cancer Institute and academic centers than at community hospitals, but this was not associated with clinically meaningful increases in time to treatment initiation. Meaning Faster patient volume growth at referral centers was not associated with clinically meaningful cancer treatment delays.
Importance Increasing demand for cancer care may be outpacing the capacity of hospitals to provide timely treatment, particularly at referral centers such as National Cancer Institute (NCI)–designated and academic centers. Whether the rate of patient volume growth has strained hospital capacity to provide timely treatment is unknown. Objective To evaluate trends in patient volume by hospital type and the association between a hospital’s annual patient volume growth and time to treatment initiation (TTI) for patients with cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective, hospital-level, cross-sectional study used longitudinal data from the National Cancer Database from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2016. Adult patients older than 40 years who had received a diagnosis of 1 of the 10 most common incident cancers and initiated their treatment at a Commission on Cancer–accredited hospital were included. Data were analyzed between December 19, 2019, and March 27, 2020. Exposures The mean annual rate of patient volume growth at a hospital. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome was TTI, defined as the number of days between diagnosis and the first cancer treatment. The association between a hospital’s mean annual rate of patient volume growth and TTI was assessed using a linear mixed-effects model containing a patient volume × time interaction. The mean annual change in TTI over the study period by hospital type was estimated by including a hospital type × time interaction term. Results The study sample included 4 218 577 patients (mean [SD] age, 65.0 [11.4] years; 56.6% women) treated at 1351 hospitals. From 2007 to 2016, patient volume increased 40% at NCI centers, 25% at academic centers, and 8% at community hospitals. In 2007, the mean TTI was longer at NCI and academic centers than at community hospitals (NCI: 50 days [95% CI, 48-52 days]; academic: 43 days [95% CI, 42-44 days]; community: 37 days [95% CI, 36-37 days]); however, the mean annual increase in TTI was greater at community hospitals (0.56 days; 95% CI, 0.49-0.62 days) than at NCI centers (−0.73 days; 95% CI, −0.95 to −0.51 days) and academic centers (0.14 days; 95% CI, 0.03-0.26 days). An annual volume growth rate of 100 patients, a level observed at less than 1% of hospitals, was associated with a mean increase in TTI of 0.24 days (95% CI, 0.18-0.29 days). Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study, from 2007 to 2016, across the studied cancer types, patients increasingly initiated their cancer treatment at NCI and academic centers. Although increases in patient volume at these centers outpaced that at community hospitals, faster growth was not associated with clinically meaningful treatment delays.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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