General practice utilisation by Australian cancer patients in the last year of life.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

General practice plays a key role in end-of-life care, yet the extent of this remains largely unknown due to a lack of detailed clinical data. This study aims to describe the care provided by General Practitioners (GPs) for people with cancer in their last year of life.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study using linked routine primary care and death certificate data in Victoria, Australia. Patients were included who died from cancer between 2008 and 2017.

Results

In total 7025 cancer patients were included, mean age of 74.8 yrs. 95% of patients visited their GP in the last 6 months of life, with a median of 11 general practice contacts in this period. 72% of patients visited their GP in the second-last month prior to death, and 74% in the last month of life.

SUBMITTER: Grant MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11809245 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature