Longer Duration of Palliative Care in Patients With COPD Is Associated With Death Outside the Hospital.

CONCLUSION: Few patients with COPD received palliative care, similar to national trends. Initial outpatient palliative contact had the longest duration of care and death in the preferred home environment. The extent of emphysema (DLCO reduction) and more frequent disease exacerbations identified in patients were more likely to receive palliative care. Our study begins to define the benefits of palliative care in advanced COPD and confirms underutilization in the years before death, where a prolonged impact on the quality of life may be realized. PMID: 31262230 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Journal of Palliative Care - Category: Palliative Care Tags: J Palliat Care Source Type: research