Predictors of Placement of Inpatient Palliative Care Consult Orders Among Patients With Breast, Lung, and Colon Cancer in a Safety Net Hospital System:

Background:The provision of palliative and end-of-life care to patients who are underrepresented and underserved provides unique challenges and opportunities.Objectives:To examine predictors of placement of inpatient palliative care consult orders among patients with breast, lung, and colorectal cancer hospitalized in a safety net hospital in 2010.Methods:Simple and multivariable logistic regression of data on selected patients with cancer was performed to identify predictors of placement of inpatient palliative care consult orders.Results:Of 979 patients, 56% had colorectal cancer, 23% had lung cancer, and 21% had breast cancer. Of those patients, 16% received an order for inpatient palliative care consultation during the study period. Patients who had more than 20 prescriptions for opioids ordered (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 9.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.62-17.95), had an order for a radiation oncology consult (AOR: 2.60, 95% CI: 1.50-4.49), or had low albumin (AOR: 2.75, 95% CI: 4.71) were more...