Published On: February 19th, 2024Categories: Case StudiesTags:

Reducing Hospitalization Through Proactive Symptom Management

Navissa’s care prevented this ER visit and follow-on hospitalization with a savings of approximately $27,000.

Cancer treatments can lead to debilitating side effects like nausea. Patients undergoing chemotherapy can have such severe nausea that they are unable to eat. This can lead to malnutrition and possible admission to the hospital and placement on a feeding tube. However, nursing intervention using validated techniques can address symptoms of nausea and keep patients out of the ER and on track to a smoother recovery.

Navvisa Patient Case Study

A Navvisa patient was struggling with nausea, especially at meal time. Anti-nausea medications were not improving her symptoms. The patient was losing a significant amount of weight due to her inability to eat, and her oncologist was planning to hospitalize her for a week to receive IV nutrition.

The patient was worried about being in the hospital for a week as she would have to be separated from her 2 year old daughter.

Navvisa Nurse Intervention

Her Navvisa Oncology Nurse shared an evidence-based solution he had successfully used for other cancer patients he had cared for. Based on her nurse’s suggestion, the patient began wearing headphones and listening to her favorite music during mealtime, which helped her manage her nausea and she was able to eat without difficulty. As a result, the patient was able to increase her caloric intake and put weight back on. Without the use of medication or medical intervention, the patient was able to avoid the ER and hospitalization.

Clinical Impact & Cost Savings

Studies confirm that 53-70% of ER department visits are considered preventable with better symptom management. In addition, the majority of cancer patients who come to the ER end up being admitted to the hospital due to the ER physicians’ limited information about the patient’s treatment plan.

Nurse navigation has been proven to reduce the utilization of emergency rooms and inpatient hospitalizations by at least 10-20%.

In the case of this Navvisa patient, regional costs would have included a $3000 ER visit plus $4000 a night for a weeklong six (6) night hospital stay, equating to a total cost avoidance of $27,000.

Relevant Research

  1. Treatment navigation to reduce emergency room (ER) visits in cancer patients
  2. Emergency Room Visits for Cancer Concerns: Patients May Have Other Options
  3. Characteristics of Self-Triaged Emergency Department Visits by Adults With Cancer

More Resources

To read more about savings that Navvisa can bring to your organization, read our whitepaper: Building the Case for Cancer Navigation.

Reach out to talk with us about creating a cancer navigation plan specific to your organization’s needs. Or, email us at [email protected].