Thoracic Oncology Multidisciplinary Clinic Reduces Unnecessary Health Care Expenditure Used in the Workup of Patients With Non–small-cell Lung Cancer

Khinh Ranh Voong, Ou Stella Liang, Patrick Dugan, Deirdre Torto, William V. Padula, James P. Senter, Margaret Lang, Craig M. Hooker, Josephine Feliciano, Stephen Broderick, L. Yarmus, Kanika Khanna, Amol Narang, Russell K. Hales

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: National costs of lung cancer care exceed $12 billion. We investigate the resource-savings benefit of a single-day thoracic oncology multidisciplinary clinic (MDC) in the diagnostic period prior to non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. Materials and Methods: From July 2007 to January 2015, patients with NSCLC treated with multimodality therapy at a tertiary hospital-based cancer center in Maryland were identified. Patient and treatment details were collected. Health care resources utilized in the 90 days prior to receipt of first oncologic treatment were identified using billed activity codes. Associated total charges, including professional fees and hospital-based technical fees, were identified and inflated to 2014 dollars using the Consumer Price Index. Codes were categorized into provider visits, procedures, pathology/laboratory, radiology, and other tests. χ2, Student t, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests compared charges of patients seen in and out of the MDC. Results: Two-hundred ninety-seven (non-MDC = 161, 54%; MDC = 136, 46%) of 308 patients identified had total charges available. Patients seen through MDC had on average a 23% decrease in total charges per patient incurred ($5839 savings; range, $5213-$6464) compared with patients seen through non-MDC settings. Evaluation through MDC reduced the average number of provider visits per patient (non-MDC, 6.8 vs. MDC, 4.8; P < .01) prior to treatment start, which led to a 50% (average $3092; range, $2451-$3732) reduction in provider charges per patient (P < .01). Conclusions: Evaluation of patients with NSCLC through a coordinated single-day MDC reduced hospital charges per patient by 23% during the diagnostic period prior to treatment when compared with evaluation through traditional referral-based thoracic oncology clinics. For patients with non–small-cell lung cancer requiring definitive multimodality care (radiation, chemotherapy, surgery), evaluation through a coordinated single-day multidisciplinary clinic reduced $5839 in hospital charges per patient during the 90-day diagnostic period prior to treatment when compared with evaluation through traditional sequential referral-based thoracic oncology clinics. This corresponded to a 23% charge reduction per patient.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)e430-e441
JournalClinical lung cancer
Volume20
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2019

Keywords

  • Diagnostic work-up
  • Economic evaluation
  • Hospital charges
  • Non-small cell lung cancer
  • Single-day multidisciplinary cancer clinic

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
  • Cancer Research

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Thoracic Oncology Multidisciplinary Clinic Reduces Unnecessary Health Care Expenditure Used in the Workup of Patients With Non–small-cell Lung Cancer'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this