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Hospitalizations subsequent to the diagnosis of lung cancer: a clinical and financial analysis
Comprehensive Cancer Center, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Monterey, CA
In patients with lung cancer, the frequency of and reasons for hospitalization following diagnosis have not been adequately evaluated. Therefore, we assessed the clinical and financial aspects of hospital admissions in this group of patients. All patients diagnosed with lung cancer at a community hospital over a 12-month period were retrospectively reviewed for hospitalizations during the subsequent 18 months. Data were collected on demographics, reasons for hospitalization, inpatient costs, and variance in utilization of inpatient services among oncologists. Of 93 patients with a new diagnosis of lung cancer in 2002, 63 were admitted a total of 128 times over the subsequent 18 months. Admissions for treatment-related toxicity were unusual (14% of total), with the majority of hospitalizations attributable to cancer complications/progression (49%) and exacerbation of comorbid conditions (29%). A total of $4,831,853 in charges was associated with these hospitalizations, with room fees and pharmacy charges representing the two largest cost categories. Analysis of oncologists’ utilization of inpatient services showed a dramatic variation. Our study concluded that although hospitalizations were common over the course of these patients’ illness, treatment-related hospitalizations are far less frequent than those attributable to disease complications/progression and comorbid conditions, and the financial ramifications of these hospitalizations are substantial.
| Commun Oncol 2006;3:200–204 | full text |  105 kb |