Machine learning-enabled decision support helped this program integrate a 12-month mortality risk model into clinical workflows, reducing in-hospital mortality and healthcare costs while increasing palliative care utilization. Outcomes data show an 84% increase in palliative care referrals and a 14% decrease in in-hospital mortality among advanced cancer patients.
In this Q&A with WellSpan Cancer Institute, one of the six 2025 ACCC Innovator Award Winners, ACCCBuzz dives into the program's initiative that leverages machine learning-enabled decision support to improve end-of-life outcomes.
In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Andrew Munchel, MSN, RN, OCN, CPHQ, quality program administrator, oncology service line at WellSpan Health, WellSpan Cancer Institute about his program’s receipt of a 2025 ACCC Innovator Award. WellSpan Cancer Institute’s innovation, Adopting Machine Learning-Enabled Decision Support to Improve Oncology End-of-Life Outcomes, involved the implementation of the End-of-Life Care Index, a machine learning and cognitive computing model that predicts 12-month mortality risk, into the cancer program’s clinical decision support tool. Driven by a desire to address the underutilization of palliative care, Munchel will discuss how this implementation enhanced both the efficiency and effectiveness of WellSpan Cancer Institute’s care delivery.
