Potential Improvements in the Pre-emergency Department Care for Cancer Patients

Identification of Potential Improvements in the Acute Care Pathway for Cancer Patients in the Emergency Department (OVERSEE - I Trial)

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.

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.

Inclusion criteria:

• Patients with solid or hematological malignancies and receiving systemic therapy or having received systemic therapy within the last 3 months.
• Presented at or admitted from the emergency department for the oncology, hematology, neuro- or lung-oncology clinical unit.
• Awake and conscious.
• Possible to answer questions within 48 hours after presentation at the emergency department (ED).

Exclusion Criteria:

• <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