Reduced length of stay as an alternative to full outpatient CAR-T services.

Abstract

e13575 Background: Cellular therapies continue to expand in diversity, complexity, and financial impact leading clinicians and administrators to seek innovative care options. The paradigm of late has been to move to an outpatient treatment model. However, centers may not find this model to be the safest option for their patients. This pilot project aims to use established outpatient resources to reduce hospital length of stay (LOS) for patients receiving ciltacabtagene autoleucel in an inpatient setting. Methods: Chart review was conducted for 42 patients treated for incidence of CRS, days to onset, LOS, readmissions, and hospital expenses and charges. The cohort showed an 83% incidence of CRS with a mean onset of 7 days. 71% of CRS was limited to Grade 1. The mean LOS was 10.8 days and the readmission rate was 21%. Financial modeling estimated overall cost reduction to range from $13,000 to $20,000 per patient for a LOS of 3 days. A pilot project to reduce LOS was developed with inclusion/exclusion criteria prioritizing patient safety and likelihood of remaining in the outpatient setting. A workflow for administering one dose of tocilizumab for Grade 1 CRS in the outpatient setting was also established to counterbalance readmissions. The goal of the pilot is to reduce the overall LOS from 10 days to 3 days while maintaining readmission rates and comparable charge to reimbursement ratios on net operating income. Results: In the first five months, 25 patients were screened for eligibility. 60% were deemed eligible and 66% of those were discharged after three days. No patients discharged after a minimum admission were readmitted within three days. Current data suggests the readmission rate within 30 days is higher than baseline at 40%. The overall LOS of patients enrolled in the pilot upon infusion was six days. Patients successfully remaining on the pilot have a 60% reduction in LOS. There have been no major safety events. Conclusions: We identified that select patients could be managed in the outpatient setting after a minimum three-midnight hospital admission. A pilot project was developed using our comprehensive care model coupled with a minimum LOS of 3 days. After discharge, patients are followed daily in our outpatient clinic using in-person visits and remote patient monitoring. To counterbalance readmissions, Grade 1 CRS has been treated in the outpatient clinic including administration of tocilizumab. Early data indicates that the workflow is reducing LOS by 60% under patient selection criteria capturing approximately 60% of patients. While readmissions in the first three days post discharge have been parried, there is opportunity to further reduce readmissions in the first 30 days following CAR-T infusion. We anticipate the pilot will reduce costs without negatively impacting reimbursement or readmissions.