The utilization and impact of oncology supportive care clinics on patients with metastatic lung cancer.

123Background: The American Society of Clinical Oncology has endorsed early integration of oncology with palliative care. In 2012, Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) introduced Oncology Supportive Care Clinics (OSCCs). OSCCs are outpatient palliative care clinics designed to incorporate palliative care into standard oncology practice at the time of a patient's cancer diagnosis. This study examines the utilization and impact of OSCCs on patients with metastatic lung cancer. Methods: We identified adult patients with incidental stage IV lung cancer using the KPNC cancer registry from 2012-2015 and followed them for 12 months. We ascertained OSCC utilization using KPNC’s electronic health record. We examined the patterns of OSCC referral/utilization and compared survival, in-hospital death, and treatment received in patients who used and did not use OSCC services. Results: A total of 607 patients were included and 245 (40.4%) were referred to OSCC. The median time from diagnosis to referral was 48 ...