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Does Hospitalist Care Enhance Palliative Care and Reduce Aggressive Treatments for Terminally Ill Patients? A Propensity Score-Matched Study.
- Source :
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Cancers . Aug2023, Vol. 15 Issue 15, p3976. 11p. - Publication Year :
- 2023
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Abstract
- Simple Summary: Patients with severe diseases at the end-of-life stage are mostly hospitalized and may receive care from a hospitalist in the current healthcare system. In this study, we found that hospitalist care may enhance palliative care and reduce unnecessary aggressive life-sustaining treatment, such as mechanical ventilation, tracheostomy, surgery, and intensive care unit transfer before death. Although the benefit of hospitalist care at the end-of-life stage requires further validation, it potentially improves care for terminally ill patients in the hospital, especially when palliative care services are scarce. Background: Information on the use of palliative care and aggressive treatments for terminally ill patients who receive care from hospitalists is limited. Methods: This three-year, retrospective, case-control study was conducted at an academic medical center in Taiwan. Among 7037 patients who died in the hospital, 41.7% had a primary diagnosis of cancer. A total of 815 deceased patients who received hospitalist care before death were compared with 3260 patients who received non-hospitalist care after matching for age, gender, catastrophic illness, and Charlson comorbidity score. Regression models with generalized estimating equations were performed. Results: Patients who received hospitalist care before death, compared to those who did not, had a higher probability of palliative care consultation (odds ratio (OR) = 3.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.63–4.41), and a lower probability to undergo invasive mechanical ventilation (OR = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.10–0.17), tracheostomy (OR = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.06–0.31), hemodialysis (OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.55–0.89), surgery (OR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.19–0.31), and intensive care unit admission (OR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.08–0.14). Hospitalist care was associated with reductions in length of stay (coefficient (B) = −0.54, 95% CI: −0.62–−0.46) and daily medical costs. Conclusions: Hospitalist care is associated with an improved palliative consultation rate and reduced life-sustaining treatments before death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *TRACHEOTOMY
*INTENSIVE care units
*LIFE support systems in critical care
*CONFIDENCE intervals
*MULTIPLE regression analysis
*UNNECESSARY surgery
*RETROSPECTIVE studies
*ACQUISITION of data
*COST control
*CATASTROPHIC illness
*MEDICAL care use
*COMPARATIVE studies
*ARTIFICIAL respiration
*CANCER patients
*QUALITY assurance
*MEDICAL records
*DESCRIPTIVE statistics
*QUESTIONNAIRES
*ODDS ratio
*HEMODIALYSIS
*PSYCHOLOGY of the terminally ill
*PALLIATIVE treatment
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20726694
- Volume :
- 15
- Issue :
- 15
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Cancers
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 169928391
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15153976