Investigating the Association Between Advanced Practice Providers and Chemotherapy-Related Adverse Events in Women With Breast Cancer: A Nested Case-Control Study. J Oncol Pract 2018 Oct 10:JOP1800277
Date
10/12/2018Pubmed ID
30303759DOI
10.1200/JOP.18.00277Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85056842761 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 2 CitationsAbstract
PURPOSE:: The effect of advanced practice provider (APP) involvement in oncology care on cancer-specific outcomes is unknown. We examined the association between team-based APP-physician care during chemotherapy and chemotherapy-related adverse events (AEs) among women with breast cancer.
METHODS:: We performed separate nested case-control analyses in two national cohorts of women who received chemotherapy for incident breast cancer. Cohorts were identified from Medicare (≥ 65 years of age) and MarketScan (18 to 64 years of age) data. Cases experienced a chemotherapy-related AE (emergency room visit and/or hospitalization). Controls were matched 1:1 on the basis of each patient's age, comorbidities, census region, state's APP scope of practice regulations, and observation period from chemotherapy initiation to first AE. APP exposure (any outpatient claim billed by an APP during the observation period) was assessed for each matched pair member.
RESULTS:: Among the 1,948 cases in the Medicare cohort, 225 (12%) had APP exposure before the first chemotherapy-related AE, compared with 213 controls (11%; P = .54). Among the 725 cases in the MarketScan cohort, 52 (7%) had APP exposure compared with 65 controls (9%; P = .21). In the matched case-control analysis, there was no association between outpatient APP exposure during chemotherapy and AEs in either cohort (Medicare: OR, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.87 to 1.30]; MarketScan: OR, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.50 to 1.14]).
CONCLUSION:: Our results suggest that team-based APP-physician care that includes an APP who is billing independently, at least for certain patients receiving chemotherapy, may be a viable strategy to safely leverage the scarce oncology workforce to increase access and delivery of cancer care.
Author List
Yen TWF, Nattinger AB, McGinley EL, Fergestrom N, Pezzin LE, Laud PWAuthors
Purushottam W. Laud PhD Adjunct Professor in the Data Science Institute department at Medical College of WisconsinEmily L. McGinley Biostatistician III in the Center for Advancing Population Science department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Ann B. Nattinger MD, MPH Associate Provost, Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Liliana Pezzin PhD, JD Professor in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Tina W F Yen MD, MS Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
