Health Care Contact Days in Older Adults With Metastatic Cancer

What are the patterns and changes in health care contact days among older adult Medicare beneficiaries with common metastatic cancers?In this cohort study of 55 806 Medicare beneficiaries with metastatic breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers who survived 1 year or more, participants experienced a mean of 40.1 to 62.9 contact days in the year after diagnosis. Across all cancer types, contact days increased from 2008 to 2019, with a large increase in ambulatory days from 2016 onward.This study’s results suggest that oncology teams should discuss expected contact days and related burdens when developing care goals and treatment plans with older adult patients.

Corresponding Author: Ishani Ganguli, MD, MPH, Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 1620 Tremont St, Third Floor, Boston, MA 02120 (iganguli@bwh.harvard.edu).

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