Access to palliative care services in hospital: a matter of being in the right hospital. Hospital charts study in a Canadian city

Abstract

Access to palliative care (PC) is a major need worldwide. Using hospital charts of all patients who died over one year (April 2008–March 2009) in two mid-sized hospitals of a large Canadian city, similar in size and function and operated by the same administrative group, this study examined which patients who could benefit from PC services actually received these services and which ones did not, and compared their care characteristics.

A significantly lower proportion (29%) of patients dying in hospital 2 (without a PC unit and reliant on a visiting PC team) was referred to PC services as compared to in hospital 1 (with a PC unit; 68%). This lower referral likelihood was found for all patient groups, even among cancer patients, and remained after controlling for patient mix. Referral was strongly associated with having cancer and younger age.

Referral to PC thus seems to depend, at least in part, on the coincidence of being admitted to the right hospital. This finding suggests that establishing PC units or a team of committed PC providers in every hospital could increase referral rates and equity of access to PC services. The relatively lower access for older and non-cancer patients and technology use in hospital PC services require further attention.