Background: Geographic localization of inpatient physician services to nursing units has been suggested to improve teamwork and patient safety among health care professionals, while perceived lack of collaboration has been associated with worse patient outcomes. On our inpatient oncology units, we previously found that large discrepancies exist in perceptions of teamwork and collaboration among professionals, [...]

Background: Management of the hospitalized cancer patient represents unique challenges: delivery of complex, specialized medical management to a growing population, compounded by intense scrutiny of patient preference and goals of care. Historically, these patients have been admitted to a subspecialist’s service, but many institutions have now transitioned to a hospitalist-driven care model. Limited research suggests [...]

Background: Bone marrow biopsies (BMB) are a relatively frequent procedure needed in the inpatient setting, especially in a tertiary care center. BMB are a straightforward procedure with a generally low complication rate. In lieu of using specialists (eg, oncologists) or computed tomography (CT) guidance with radiology, procedure-focused hospitalists can provide an excellent option for doing [...]

Case Presentation: A 45-year-old female with no significant medical history presented to the ED with three days of sharp epigastric pain radiating to the right lower quadrant associated with fever, chills, and multiple episodes of non-bilious, non-bloody emesis. She denied chest pain, shortness of breath, or bruising. Physical examination revealed normal vital signs except a [...]

Background: Prognostication of survival in advanced cancer patients has been challenging and contributes to poor illness understanding. Disagreements among providers about prognosis occur and is a less studied phenomenon. We asked the Surprise Question (SQ), “Would I be surprised if this patient died within the next 1 year, 6 months, and 1 month?” to Palliative [...]

Background: Patients with a pre-existing diagnosis of advanced cancer who discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) after an acute care hospitalization rarely receive future oncologic treatment, have high readmission rates, and minimal hospice use. We aimed to evaluate survivorship of patients discharging to a SNF with a new diagnosis of cancer based on their [...]

Background: Millions of patients with cancer are hospitalized each year in the US for treatment or complications of their disease. Increasing numbers are cared for by hospitalists on services dedicated to patients with cancer. Little is known about the practice characteristics or working environment of this expanding pool of oncology hospitalists. Methods: Using a modified [...]

Background: Recent evidence supports a restrictive transfusion strategy in the majority of hospitalized patients, though transfusion practices for oncology patients remain highly variable.  We evaluated whether use of a best practice alert for solid tumor oncology inpatients would result in more restrictive transfusion practices and impact patient outcomes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, historical control [...]

Background: After discharge from an acute care hospitalization, cancer patients may choose to pursue rehabilitative care in a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Our objective was to examine receipt of anti-cancer therapy, death, readmission, and hospice use of cancer patients who discharge to a SNF compared to those who discharge home or home with home health [...]

Background: Hospitalists, rather than primary oncologists, are increasingly caring for hospitalized patients with cancer. High medical acuity, complex psycho-social issues, rapidly evolving cancer treatments, advanced care planning, and end-of-life care make management of this patient population especially challenging. The impact of the oncology hospitalist model of care delivery on clinical quality and oncologists’ work satisfaction [...]