Supportive oncology services, a model that includes palliative care, are associated with lower costs and improved clinical outcomes.

This is according to a study in the journal Cancer by Pennsylvania-based Independence Blue Cross (IBX) and the Jefferson Health system. Their research found that supportive oncology reduced inpatient admissions and emergency room visits, as well as lower total financial costs to families.

“Supportive oncology programs are an enormous resource for our members, and the data show how care utilization patterns change in a positive way for those in need of these supportive services,” said study co-author Aaron Smith-McLallen, director of Health Informatics & Advanced Analytics at IBX, in a statement. “Bridging the gap in resources and expertise can help ensure that everyone benefits from the life-enhancing services that supportive oncology programs can provide.”

Supportive oncology programs integrate a range of services to meet cancer patients’ multidimensional needs. These can combine social work, nutritional counseling, navigation, financial advocacy, nursing, palliative medicine, psychology and pain management with traditional oncology.

IBX, Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University researchers used three distinct comparison groups. They compared outcomes for patients who received supportive oncology to the following groups:

• Patients who received palliative care at Jefferson Health before they had a supportive oncology program in place
• Patients who received palliative care in southeastern Pennsylvania from a non-Jefferson health provider
• Patients who received cancer care in southeastern Pennsylvania from a non-Jefferson health provider but did not have palliative care

The findings suggest that these types of programs can improve the quality and efficiency of care for patients with advanced cancer, according to the study.

“Our study demonstrates that supportive oncology programs not only enhance patient care, but also lead to more efficient healthcare utilization and lower costs,” co-author Dr. Brooke Worster, associate professor of medicine and enterprise director of  supportive oncology at Jefferson Health, in a statement. “These findings underscore the importance of integrating comprehensive support services into standard cancer treatment, potentially transforming the landscape of advanced cancer care. This can only be accomplished on a large scale if both payers and health care institutions collaborate.”