Analysis of providing hospital-replacing care in systemic treatment of cancer patients at Almaty Oncology Center

Abstract

Relevance: According to the statistics and reporting documentation, 23,732 cases of cancer were treated at Almaty Oncology Center (AOC) in 2024, with 69.8% of services provided by Day Patient Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy Departments of the Center.
The concept of AOC development envisions the expansion of patients’ access to hospital-substituting forms of medical care. In this context, analyzing the activities of the day hospital for chemotherapy is an important area that contributes to the improvement of care organization for cancer patients in outpatient settings.
The study aimed to analyze the performance of the Almaty Oncology Center’s Day Patient Chemotherapy Department from 2019 to 2024.
Methods: The Day Patient Chemotherapy Department performance analysis relied on primary reporting and documentation forms.
Key indicators such as the number of hospitalized patients and recorded adverse events were extracted from the Damumed electronic medical record system. The study was part of the framework of the IRN BR24993051 project.
Results: During the study period, the number of patients admitted to the AOC Day Patient Chemotherapy Department increased by 124.17% due to the growth in the registration of new cancer cases in Almaty and the transition to hospital-replacing care. The average stay increased by 38% over five years, primarily due to the expansion of chemotherapy regimens in line with national diagnostic and treatment protocols for cancer patients in Kazakhstan. The number of adverse events has also increased from 602 to 18,202 cases, corresponding with the rise in the number of patients over the past 5 years (2019-2024).
Conclusion: The performance analysis of the Day Patient Chemotherapy Department highlights the need to enhance the department’s staffing capacity, increase the number of available beds, and implement electronic queue systems. It is also necessary to enhance outpatient care for patients experiencing adverse events, which places a significant burden on the AOC Day Patient Chemotherapy Department personnel.