A clustered randomized controlled trial of symptom screening and automatic referral for supportive care for patients with GI cancer care needs.

Purpose: To explore the impact of implementation of a symptom screening and supportive/palliative care referral pathway in patients newly referred to a Canadian gastrointestinal medical oncology clinic.

Methods: Eighty-eight subjects were recruited in each study arm. Intervention subjects were assessed by a member of the supportive/palliative care team if they had a severity score of >3/10 on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System. Controls received normal care, including discretionary referral. Symptom severity was assessed over the subsequent five months. Data on survival, care setting of death (home, hospice or hospital) and long-term resource use were also collected.

Results: Screening led to 141 specialist supportive/palliative care visits in the intervention arm versus only nine in the control arm. There were, however, no subsequent significant differences in symptom severity or the long-term outcomes measured. Many patients identified by the >3/10 severity threshold did not need/want specialist supportive/palliative care referral, and those with severe distress were either identified by the oncology team already or were too unwell or overwhelmed to participate in the study. The specialist service was not overwhelmed. Important considerations on timing and mode of administration of screening tools were revealed.

Conclusion: Routine symptom screening can be burdensome for oncology patients and needs to be as simple as possible. Triaging positive screens is an important role for oncology nurses. Investment in training oncology teams to manage uncomplicated distress in the oncology clinic allows for optimal use of scarce supportive/palliative care specialist resources for patients with complex needs.