4 min
Reduction in potentially inappropriate end-of-life hospital care for cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective population-based study SAGE Palliative Medicine & Chronic Care
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- Science
This episode features Ellis Slotman (Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), Utrecht, the Netherlands)
What is already known about the topic?
Potentially inappropriate end-of-life care in patients with cancer is still common. The COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to affect cancer diagnosis and treatment, but evidence on how the pandemic has affected end-of-life care is limited. What this paper adds?
The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with less potentially inappropriate care at the end of life in patients with cancer. The decline in potentially inappropriate end-of-life care was driven by fewer hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions in the last month of life and fewer hospital deaths. Implications for practice, theory, or policy
The findings of this study raise important questions as to which pandemic related changes in end-of-life care delivery and decision making might be able to contribute to appropriate end-of-life care for future patients. Ensuring that awareness for triaging and advance care planning is maintained after the pandemic may be of great importance in this regard. Full paper available from:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02692163231217373
If you would like to record a podcast about your published (or accepted) Palliative Medicine paper, please contact Dr Amara Nwosu:
a.nwosu@lancaster.ac.uk
This episode features Ellis Slotman (Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL), Utrecht, the Netherlands)
What is already known about the topic?
Potentially inappropriate end-of-life care in patients with cancer is still common. The COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to affect cancer diagnosis and treatment, but evidence on how the pandemic has affected end-of-life care is limited. What this paper adds?
The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with less potentially inappropriate care at the end of life in patients with cancer. The decline in potentially inappropriate end-of-life care was driven by fewer hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions in the last month of life and fewer hospital deaths. Implications for practice, theory, or policy
The findings of this study raise important questions as to which pandemic related changes in end-of-life care delivery and decision making might be able to contribute to appropriate end-of-life care for future patients. Ensuring that awareness for triaging and advance care planning is maintained after the pandemic may be of great importance in this regard. Full paper available from:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02692163231217373
If you would like to record a podcast about your published (or accepted) Palliative Medicine paper, please contact Dr Amara Nwosu:
a.nwosu@lancaster.ac.uk
4 min