Outpatient palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective single centre analysis in Germany.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged health care systems worldwide. In Germany, patients in a palliative care setting have the opportunity to receive treatment by a specialised mobile outpatient palliative care team (OPC). The given retrospective single centre analysis describes the use of OPC structures for terminally ill COVID-19 patients during the height of the pandemic in Germany and aims to characterise this exceptional OPC patient collective.

Methods

First, death certificates were analysed in order to collect data about the place of death of all deceased COVID-19 patients (n = 471) within our local governance district. Second, we investigated whether advance care planning structures were established in local nursing homes (n = 30)

SUBMITTER: Behnke J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9371950 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature