Hospice patients in clinical cancer treatment trials.
Patients with cancer and practitioners face a conflict when no known curative treatments exist because Medicare and other insurers do not allow clinical trial participation and hospice care to occur concurrently. Patients may not fully benefit from hospice care because of late enrollment. Barriers to hospice referrals exist in the form of clinician attitudes and insurance limitations. Patients with advanced cancer may be prevented from enrolling in clinical trials, and trial participation may limit hospice care. Factors related to this situation are discussed.
Paprstein
Heather
H
Oncology Education Services, Inc., Munster, IN, USA. heather_litwiller@ameritech.net
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D006738:Hospices; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D012017:Referral and Consultation