Potential Improvements in the Pre-emergency Department Care for Cancer Patients
- Conditions
- CancerEmergencies
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Emergency department cancer patients interview
- Registration Number
- NCT05974787
- Lead Sponsor
- Erasmus Medical Center
- Brief Summary
The goal of this single center prospective cross-sectional study is to identify the facilitators and barriers in the course of the disease that starts when symptoms first arise until patients with solid and hematologic malignancies arrive in the emergency department (ED). The main question it aims to answer are: Is there a potential relation between the lag-time and the ED length of stay (LOS) and the chance of admission. Participants will be asked to participate in a one-time interview, that focusses on the pre-admission process.
- Detailed Description
The goal of this single center prospective cross-sectional study is to identify the facilitators and barriers in the course of the disease that starts when symptoms first arise until patients with solid and hematologic malignancies arrive in the emergency department (ED). The main question it aims to answer are: Is there a potential relation between the lag-time and the emergency department length of stay and the chance of admission. Participants will be asked to participate in a one-time interview, that focusses on the pre-admission process. The interview focuses on several parts of the (pre-)admission process: The first part is regarding the timeline that led to an ED visit. The investigators will establish, when and which symptoms were first detected. The second part are regarding the number and type of health care workers that were contacted before visiting the ED. The third part will be about the actions that were taken before the ED visit.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 75
Not provided
- <18 years old
- Only received a surgical intervention as cancer treatment
- Admitted to the ED for the surgical department
- Not willing or able to give written informed consent
Study & Design
- Study Type
- OBSERVATIONAL
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Cancer patients Emergency department cancer patients interview All adult patients with solid or hematological malignancies and receiving systemic therapy or having received systemic therapy within the last 3 months admitted to the emergency department of the Erasmus Medical Center for the oncology, hematology, lung- and neuro-oncology medical unit are eligible for inclusion.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Clusters of facilitators experienced by cancer patients. Through study completion, an average of 6 months Different (sub)clusters of facilitators experienced by cancer patients visiting the emergency department (ED)
clusters of barriers experienced by cancer patients. Through study completion, an average of 6 months Different (sub)clusters of barriers experienced by cancer patients visiting the ED
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Time-to-speak Through study completion, an average of 6 months The time between the first notice of symptoms and the first time these complaints were spoken out to the primary giver
Time-to-contact Through study completion, an average of 6 months The time between the first time complaints are spoken out and contact is made with a healthcare professional
ED crowding Through study completion, an average of 6 months Measure of business of the ED, composed of the number of patients in the ED and the color coding used for crowding
Time-to-present Through study completion, an average of 6 months The time between the first contact with a healthcare professional and the presentation at the ED
Difference in group average lag-time between day, evening and night Through study completion, an average of 6 months Difference in group average lag-time between day, evening and night
Difference in group average lag-time between weekdays (Monday 08:00 till Friday 23:59) and weekend (Saturday 00:00 and Monday 7:59) Through study completion, an average of 6 months Difference in group average lag-time between weekdays (Monday 08:00 till Friday 23:59) and weekend (Saturday 00:00 and Monday 7:59)
Correlation between number of contacted healthcare providers before presentation at the ED and the lag- time. Through study completion, an average of 6 months Correlation between number of contacted healthcare providers before presentation at the ED and the lag- time.
Willingness to participate Through study completion, an average of 6 months the percentage of people that participated in this study in comparison to the people approached for this study.
Lag-time Through study completion, an average of 6 months The time between the first onset of symptoms and a visit to the ED.
Patient characteristics Through study completion, an average of 6 months Age, sex, type of cancer, type of complaint, triage category, number of prior visits
Correlation between lag-time and patient characteristics Through study completion, an average of 6 months Correlation between lag-time and patient characteristics
ED length of stay (LOS) Through study completion, an average of 6 months The time a patient spends in the ED
Disposition Through study completion, an average of 6 months The outcome of a visit to the ED, being either admission or home
Correlation between lag-time and disposition Through study completion, an average of 6 months Correlation between lag-time and disposition
Correlation between lag-time and ED-LOS Through study completion, an average of 6 months Correlation between lag-time and ED-LOS
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Erasmus MC
🇳🇱Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands