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Table 4 Episode of care level data in the Australian Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration database July 1 – December 31, 2009, by Socio-Economic Index for Areas of Disadvantage (2006 Census data; SEIFA)

From: Referral patterns and proximity to palliative care inpatient services by level of socio-economic disadvantage. A national study using spatial analysis

Episode-level data

 

SEIFA group

  

Low3

Medium

High3

Total

  

n

%

n

%

n

%

n

%

Place of care1

Inpatient

2,919

63%

2,871

63%

2,358

71%

8,148

65%

Community

1,703

37%

1,693

37%

979

29%

4,375

35%

Phase at beginning of a patient’s palliative care episode

Stable2

1,076

24%

971

23%

620

19%

2,667

22%

Unstable

1,786

40%

1,639

38%

1,405

44%

4,830

40%

Deteriorating

1,246

28%

1,367

32%

960

30%

3,573

30%

 

Terminal

343

8%

320

7%

219

7%

882

7%

  1. (Episode changes every time physical place of care changes).
  2. 1 High SEIFA group significantly different from both other groups (multiple chi-square: largest p < 0.001).
  3. 2 High SEIFA group has a significantly lower proportion of episodes starting ‘Stable’(multiple chi-square; largest p = 0.001).
  4. 3 SEIFA low – most disadvantaged; SEIFA high – most advantaged.