Hospital Medicine – Medical Oncology Service Agreement

Start Date: 4/5/2023

Guidelines:

1. Hospital medicine to assume care of medical oncology patients formerly cared for by the medical 

oncology team

a.  This will include IR oncology patients admitted for observation after planned elective procedures (liver directed therapy, PEG tubes, celiac blocks, etc.)

b.  Exception: Patients with an FM PCP will be reviewed by Family Medicine. If they desire HM-Med Onc admission, they will request and it will be accepted.

c.  Exception: Patients who require elective admission for inpatient chemo will be admitted to Heme-Onc service regardless of PCP.

2. Hospital medicine expectations (Hospital medicine will:)

a. Perform admissions and assume primary care of patients previously targeted to the medical oncology service (exceptions: see 1)

b. Inform patients of new cancer diagnosis once confirmed and inform patients that oncology has been consulted.

c. Take responsibility to communicate with the patient’s primary oncologist, ideally on admission and discharge

d. Arrange follow up for patients upon discharge

i. Via the patient’s primary oncologist

ii. Via assistance of CTC or

iii. Via assistance of medical oncology consult team if needed

3. Medical oncology consult service expectations (Medical Oncology will:)

a. Participate in daily “touch point” or daily “check in” rounds with Hospitalist to discuss patients on medical oncology list

i. Weekday touch points should have both hospital medicine and medical oncology attendings present.

ii. Hospitalist will indicate which patients require formal medical oncology consultation

iii. On weekends, medical oncology attending will touch bases with the team either in person post rounds OR via phone at 11:30AM. Fellow will be present in person to facilitate this call.

iv. If the service is no longer cohorted onto one team, hospital medicine will contact medical oncology consult service as per normal UNMH consultation guidelines

b. Write Daily consult notes while the medical oncology consult team is following (brief update notes are acceptable for subsequent visits)

c.  Communicate with hospital medicine when requesting to “sign off” on a patient or requesting to follow peripherally via TigerText or verbal communication

d. Be available to attend family meetings if requested by hospitalist/primary team or palliative

e.  Accept PALS calls related to medical oncology patients. If an outside transfer to UNM is felt appropriate, medical oncology will direct call to hospitalist service attending to accept.

4. Tiger text roles as follows:

a. IM Hospitalist Admit/Transfer Triage On Call: Fields admit/transfer requests 24/7 for this service

b. IM Med-Onc Service Attending / APP: Primary hospital medicine team taking care of medical oncology patients

c. Adult Med-Onc Consult Attending / Fellow: Medical oncology consulting service