Abdominal Cancer Pain Admission in Emergency Department Vs Oncology Emergency Department

Abstract

Abstract Purpose to investigate the rates of hospitalization, opioid prescription, supportive care, hospice referral and 30-day all-cause mortality in metastatic cancer patients with abdominal pain complaints admitted to general emergency room (ER) versus the Oncology Emergency Medicine (OEM). Methods A retrospective cohort study was evaluated, consisting of metastatic patients with abdominal pain complaints admitted to the ER or OEM at Sheba Medical Center, between June, 2020 and May, 2022. The MDClone ADAMS Platform, a healthcare data analytics environment, was used for data collection. Results Patients visiting the OEM were 70% less likely to be hospitalized than patients visiting the ER (p < 0.01) and a greater proportion of patients admitted to the OEM received supportive care and hospice referrals (p < 0.01). In both emergency departments, patients who received biologic treatment were less likely to be hospitalized (p = 0.02), while patients who received opioids, fluids and antibiotics were more likely require hospitalization (p = 0.03), (p = 0.01), and (p = < 0.00) respectively. Conclusion Our study found out that an OEM with oncology-specific expertise enabled patients suffering from metastatic cancer to receive optimal care.