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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Factors associated with utilization of specialist palliative care services
— a population based study | | Author(s) | Jacqueline D Gray, D P Forster |
| Journal title | Journal of Public Health Medicine, vol 19, no 4, December 1997 |
| Pages | pp 464-469 |
| Keywords | Terminal care ; Medical care ; Usage [services] ; Cancer ; Death ; Social surveys. |
| Annotation | Palliative care services have been criticised for providing specialist care for a privileged few, but no information is routinely available to prove or refute these criticisms. A survey aimed to identify and describe patients using specialist palliative services in a health district, and factors distinguishing them from eligible patients not using these services. Clinical and demographic data were collected retrospectively for all residents of the health district who died of cancer in 1991. Comparisons were made between palliative care service users and non-users. Of 521 cases studied, 157 (30%) had used services (Group 1); compared with the remainder (Group 2) were statistically significantly (p < 0.05) different in terms of age at death (mean age, Group 1 was 66.6 years; 73 years for Group 2), survival times from diagnosis (Group 1, median 242 days; Group 2 110 days) and general practitioner practice. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of ward of residence, social class, cancer site, or gender. Cases in Group 1 were more likely to die at home (39%), compared with 27% in Group 2. The authors suggest that local studies of needs and utilisation are required for guiding sensitive contracts. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-980813003 A |
| Classmark | LV: LK: QLD: CK: CW: 3F |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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