Early Palliative Care Curbs Costs, Especially for Cancer

May 15, 2018

(Medscape) – A palliative care consultation (PCC) within 3 days of hospital admission can reduce the cost of care. The reduction in cost burden was particularly evident for cancer patients and those with multiple comorbidities, according to a new meta-analysis. The study was published online April 30 in JAMA Internal Medicine. The findings showed that there was a significant cost savings of $3237 for all patients who received an early PCC. The savings in cost were even greater when the analysis was narrowed to cancer patients — there was a significant reduction in cost of $4251 for cancer patients as compared to a reduction of $2105 for those without cancer.