Impact of comprehensive hospice palliative care on end-of-life care: a propensity-score-matched retrospective observational study.

Impact of comprehensive hospice palliative care on end-of-life care: a propensity-score-matched retrospective observational study. CMAJ Open. 2019 Apr-Jun;7(2):E197-E202 Authors: Conlon MSC, Caswell JM, Knight A, Ballantyne B, Santi SA, Meigs ML, Earle CC, Hartman M Abstract BACKGROUND: Access to hospice palliative care may improve quality of life, reduce the use of potentially aggressive end-of-life care and allow for death to occur outside of an acute care hospital. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of an ambulatory hospice palliative care program on end-of-life care compared to care received by a matched control group of deceased patients. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients who received hospice palliative care through the Symptom Management Program in Sudbury, Ontario, during 2012-2015. Using linked administrative health records, we defined a propensity-matched control group and derived 4 previously defined variables associated with aggressive end-of-life care (chemotherapy received in the last 2 wk of life, > 1 emergency department visit within 30 d of death, > 1 hospital admission within 30 d of death and at least 1 intensive care unit admission within 30 d of death). We also examined place of death. We measured family/caregiver satisfaction with care 3 months after the patient's death using the FAMCARE questionnaire. RESULTS: Of 914 eligible decedents enrolled in the Symptom ...
Source: cmaj - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: CMAJ Open Source Type: research