Does frailty predict hospitalization, emergency department visits, and visits to the general practitioner in older newly-diagnosed cancer patients? Results of a prospective pilot study

• Published in: Critical reviews in oncology/hematology Vol. 76; no. 2; pp. 142 - 151
• Main Authors: Puts, M.T.E, Monette, J, Girre, V, Wolfson, C, Monette, M, Batist, G, Bergman, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-11-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Canada; Emergency department visits; Emergency Service, Hospital - statistics & numerical data; Emergency Service, Hospital - utilization; Female; Frail elderly; Frail Elderly - psychology; Frail Elderly - statistics & numerical data; Functional status; Geriatric oncology; Health care utilization; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Hospitalization; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Neoplasms; Office Visits - statistics & numerical data; Office Visits - utilization; Physician visit; Pilot Projects; Prospective Studies; Utilization Review; Canada; Functional status; Frail elderly; Physician visit; Health care utilization; Emergency department visits; Hospitalization; Geriatric oncology; Human; General practitioner; Health; Early stage; Malignant tumor; Care; Functional capacity; Prospective; Cancerology; Emergency department; Predictive factor; Elderly; Age; Cancer; Geriatrics
• ISSN: 1040-8428; 1879-0461
• DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2009.10.006

Abstract Research on the use of health care by older newly-diagnosed cancer patients is sparse. We investigated whether frailty predicts hospitalization, emergency department (ED) and general practitioner (GP) visits in older cancer patients in a prospective pilot study. Newly-diagnosed cancer patients aged 65 years and over were recruited in the Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada. One hundred ten patients participated, mean age 74.1, 70% women. During 1 year follow-up, 52 patients (47.3%) had cancer-related hospitalizations, 23 patients (20.9%) had ED visit and 17 patients (15.5%) had GP visit. No frailty marker predicted hospitalization or visits to the GP. Cognitive impairment suspicion was the only frailty marker that predicted ED visits (odds ratio 4.97; 95%CI 1.14–21.69). Although health care use was considerable in this sample, most frailty markers were not associated with health care use in this pilot study.