Acute-Care Hospital Use Patterns Near End-of-Life for Cancer Patients Who Die in Hospital in Canada

Background: Acute-care hospitals have a role in managing the needs of people with cancer when they are at the end-of-life; however, overutilization of hospital care at the end-of-life results in poorer quality of life and can worsen the patientu0027s experience. Early integration of comprehensive palliative care can greatly reduce unplanned visits to the emergency department, reduce avoidable admissions to hospital, shorten hospital stays, and increase the number of home deaths as well as improve the quality of life of patients with advanced cancer. Aim: To describe the current landscape of acute-care hospital utilization near the end-of-life across Canada and indirectly examine access to palliative care in cancer patients who die in hospital. Methods: Data were obtained from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. The analysis was restricted to adults aged 18+ who died in an acute care hospital in 2014/15 and 2015/16 for nine provinces and three territories. The Discharge Abstract Database was used to...