Specialized palliative outpatient clinic care involvement associated with decreased end-of-life hospital costs in cancer patients, a single center study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Studies show that hospital deaths bring significant health care costs, and the involvement of specialized palliative care can help to reduce these costs. The aim of this retrospective registry-based study was to evaluate end-of-life hospital costs in patients dying in a university hospital oncology ward, with or without specialized palliative outpatient clinic contact at any timepoint.

Methods

The study population consists of all patients who died in the Kuopio University Hospital oncology ward in the years 2012-2018 (n = 457). Hospital costs in the last 30 days of life and data on treatment decisions and background factors were gathered. Costs for patients with and without palliative care contact were compared. Effects of various variables on the costs were analy

SUBMITTER: Tolppanen AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11681669 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature