Prevalence and characteristics of prisoners requiring end-of-life care: A prospective national survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ensuring adequate end-of-life care for prisoners is a critical issue. In France, data investigating the impact of laws allowing release of seriously ill prisoners are lacking.

Aim

To assess the number and characteristics of prisoners requiring palliative care in French prisons.

Design

A prospective, national survey collecting data over a 3-month period.

Setting/participants

All healthcare units ( n = 190) providing care for prisoners in France. The prison population was 66,698 during the study period. Data collection concerned prisoners requiring end-of-life care, that is, with serious, advanced, progressive, or terminal illness and life expectancy <1 year.

Results

Estimated annual prevalence of ill prisoners requiring end-of-life care was 15.

SUBMITTER: Pazart L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5758925 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature