After exceeding CMS’ benchmark rate for emergency room visits and hospital admissions of cancer patients within 30 days of receiving outpatient chemotherapy, Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth Cancer Institute identified and implemented eight strategies to improve outpatient cancer care.
The strategies helped the system reduce its 30-day readmission rate from 13.5% to an internal measure of 8.4%, lower than the 10.4% benchmark set by CMS, according to an abstract presented April 10 at the Oncology Nursing Society Congress.
The eight strategic interventions were:
- Improving patient education on the common side effects of chemotherapy and offering guidance on when to seek medical attention.
- Establishing an oncology nurse hotline, providing patients with access to immediate advice and support.
- Conducting intentional follow-up communication with high-risk populations in the three to five days after each treatment to discuss symptoms and offer guidance.
- Addressing the patient’s social and medical needs by engaging a multidisciplinary care team.
- Developing a triage pathway and utilizing other care team members to reduce the burden on provider schedules.
- Scheduling same-day infusion appointments for outpatient symptom management.
- Partnering with a home-based urgent care service.
- Establishing a reporting structure that allowed for regular monitoring of ED visit and readmission metrics, including continued refinement of care processes based on data and feedback from patients and staff.
