End-of-life Health-Care Utilization Patterns Among Chronically Ill Older Adults.

End-of-life Health-Care Utilization Patterns Among Chronically Ill Older Adults. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2019 Jan 29;:1049909118824962 Authors: Greenle MM, Hirschman KB, Coburn K, Marcantonio S, Hanlon AL, Naylor M, Mauer E, Ulrich C Abstract Patients with chronic illness are associated with high health-care utilization and this is exacerbated in the end of life, when health-care utilization and costs are highest. Complex Care Management (CCM) is a model of care developed to reduce health-care utilization, while improving patient outcomes. We aimed to examine the relationship between health-care utilization patterns and patient characteristics over time in a sample of older adults enrolled in CCM over the last 2 years of life. Generalized estimating equation models were used. The sample (n = 126) was 52% female with an average age of 85 years. Health-care utilization rose sharply in the last 3 months of life with at least one hospitalization for 67% of participants and an emergency department visit for 23% of participants. In the last 6 months of life, there was an average of 2.17 care transitions per participant. The odds of hospitalization increased by 27% with each time interval ( P < .001). Participants demonstrated 11% greater odds of having a hospitalization for each additional comorbidity ( P = .05). A primary diagnosis of heart failure or coronary artery disease was associated with 21% greater odds of hospitalization over ...
Source: The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care - Category: Palliative Care Authors: Tags: Am J Hosp Palliat Care Source Type: research