- Page navigation anchor for Primary care contacts, continuity, identification of palliative care needs, and hospital use: a population-based cohort study in people dying with dementiaPrimary care contacts, continuity, identification of palliative care needs, and hospital use: a population-based cohort study in people dying with dementia
This article aims to illustrate the importance of continuity of care, and its association with unplanned hospital admissions in people dying from dementia.1 As we have touched upon a few key aspects of this issue regarding this challenging group of care recipients, we have discussed possible solutions and the situation in our country.
A quality marker of good end-of-life care is that patients can die and be cared for in their preferred setting throughout their final days.2-3 According to the depicted results, it could be inferred, “No home” death was significantly higher in the group with multiple unplanned hospital admissions in the last 90 days, suggesting poor end-of-life quality. Furthermore, participants, who live in rural areas, are admitted more frequently to hospitals, In line with current literature.4-5.
Higher healthcare needs or inadequate service integration may be the cause of patients' frequent hospital admissions and higher GP visits. In either case, strategies to improve continuity of care, particularly in residential settings, could lead to less frequent hospital transitions and higher quality of life. Primary care services delivered in multidisciplinary teams are likely to contribute to reducing unnecessary hospital admission at the end of life by facilitating timely access to patient-centered care.
Lastly, the Integration of home-based care services into the healthcare system may en...
Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.