Table 2 Patient, disease and healthcare factors associated with hospital use in the last three months of life (n = 319)
Not hospitalised (n = 127) | Hospitalised at least one day (n = 192) | p-value* | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PATIENT AND DISEASE FACTORS | Total N †| % | % | ||
Age at death | 1–64 y | 42 | 42.9 | 57.1 | .008 |
65–74 y | 74 | 29.7 | 70.3 | ||
75–84 y | 109 | 34.9 | 65.1 | ||
+85 y | 91 | 53.8 | 46.2 | ||
Sex | male | 164 | 31.7 | 68.3 | .003 |
female | 155 | 48.4 | 51.6 | ||
Socio-economic status | low | 77 | 41.6 | 58.4 | .90 |
medium | 205 | 39.0 | 61.0 | ||
high | 31 | 41.9 | 58.1 | ||
Degree of urbanization § | core of large city | 108 | 42.6 | 57.4 | .33 |
high | 71 | 31.0 | 69.0 | ||
average | 76 | 40.8 | 59.2 | ||
low or rural | 62 | 45.2 | 54.8 | ||
Place of death wish expressed to GP | home or living with family | 96 | 54.2 | 45.8 | <.001 |
home for the elderly | 37 | 73.0 | 27.0 | ||
elsewhere (hospital, palliative care unit) | 17 | 23.5 | 76.5 | ||
not expressed | 157 | 23.6 | 76.4 | ||
Cause of death (ICD-10) | malignancies | 124 | 35.5 | 64.5 | .40 |
cardiovascular diseases | 83 | 44.6 | 55.4 | ||
diseases of the nervous system | 13 | 53.8 | 46.2 | ||
other | 97 | 38.1 | 61.9 | ||
HEALTHCARE FACTORS | |||||
Hospital beds in healthcare area (rate/1000 inhab) ‡ | <5.658 | 185 | 43.2 | 56.8 | .16 |
>=5.658 | 133 | 35.3 | 64.7 | ||
CONTINUITY AND GP SUPPORT | |||||
Palliative care delivered by GP in last three months | yes | 146 | 61.6 | 38.4 | <.001 |
no | 171 | 20.5 | 79.5 | ||
Total number of GP contacts in last three months (consultations, home visits) | low [0–6] | 113 | 26.5 | 73.5 | .001 |
medium ]6 – 11] | 105 | 44.8 | 55.2 | ||
high ]11 – 88] | 101 | 49.5 | 50.5 | ||
SOCIAL SUPPORT | |||||
Living situation § | at home, with partner and other adults: | 51 | 54.9 | 45.1 | .003 |
at home, with partner but no other adults: | 115 | 30.4 | 69.6 | ||
at home, single or with children aged <18 y: | 51 | 31.4 | 68.6 | ||
living elsewhere without family: ∥ | 95 | 49.5 | 50.5 | ||
Informal care (partner, child, acquaintance,...) in last three months | none or very little | 111 | 36.0 | 64.0 | .46 |
yes, sometimes | 133 | 43.6 | 56.4 | ||
yes, often | 49 | 42.9 | 57.1 | ||
INVOLVEMENT OF SPECIALIST PALLIATIVE CARE | |||||
Specialist palliative home care team | yes | 37 | 54.1 | 45.9 | .11 |
no | 260 | 38.8 | 61.2 | ||
Specialist palliative elderly home care team | yes | 21 | 76.2 | 23.8 | .001 |
no | 276 | 38.0 | 62.0 | ||
FOCUS OF TREATMENT | |||||
Treatment goal in last three months | curative/life-prolonging: | 79 | 12.7 | 87.3 | <.001 |
palliative: | 76 | 64.5 | 35.5 | ||
from curative/life-prolonging to palliative: | 130 | 42.3 | 57.7 | ||
from palliative to curative/life-prolonging: ¶ | 2 | - | 100.0 | ||