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Gitau K, Huang A, Isenberg SR, Stall N, Ailon J, Bell CM, Quinn KL. Association of patient sex with use of palliative care in Ontario, Canada: a population-based study. CMAJ Open 2023; 11:E1025-E1032. [PMID: 37935486 PMCID: PMC10635704 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20220232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is unclear whether there are sex-based differences in use of palliative care near the end of life. The objective of this study was to measure the association between sex and palliative care use. METHODS We performed a population-based retrospective cohort study of all patients aged 18 years or older in the last year of life who died in Ontario, Canada, between 2010 and 2018. The primary exposure was patient biologic sex (male or female). The primary outcome was receipt of physician-delivered palliative care; secondary outcomes were approach to in-hospital palliative care and sex concordance of the patient and referring physician. We used multivariable modified Poisson regression to measure the association between patient sex and palliative care receipt, as well as patient-physician sex concordance. RESULTS There were 706 722 patients (354 657 females [50.2%], median age 80 yr [interquartile range 69-87 yr]) in the study cohort, 377 498 (53.4%) of whom received physician-delivered palliative care. After adjustment for age and selected comorbidities, female sex was associated with a 9% relative increase (adjusted relative risk [RR] 1.09, 95% CI 1.08-1.10) in receipt of physician-delivered palliative care. Female patients were 16% more likely than male patients (adjusted RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.14-1.18) to have had their first hospital admission in their final year of life categorized as having a likely palliative intent. Female patients were 18% more likely than male patients (RR 1.18, 95% CI 1.17-1.19) to have had a female referring physician, and male patients were 20% more likely than female patients (adjusted RR 1.20, CI 1.19-1.21) to have had a male referring physician. INTERPRETATION After adjustment for age and comorbidities, male patients were slightly less likely than female patients to have received physician-delivered palliative care, and female patients were more likely than male patients to have had their first hospital admission in their final year of life categorized as having a likely palliative care intent. These results may reflect a between-sex difference in overall end-of-life care preferences or sex differences in decision-making influenced by patient-specific factors; further studies exploring how these factors affect end-of-life decision-making are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Gitau
- Departments of Medicine (Gitau, Stall, Ailon, Bell, Quinn) and Family and Community Medicine (Isenberg), University of Toronto; ICES (Huang, Stall, Bell, Quinn); Department of Medicine (Stall, Bell, Quinn), Sinai Health System; Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care (Quinn), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Medicine (Isenberg), University of Ottawa; Bruyère Research Institute (Isenberg, Ailon), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - Anjie Huang
- Departments of Medicine (Gitau, Stall, Ailon, Bell, Quinn) and Family and Community Medicine (Isenberg), University of Toronto; ICES (Huang, Stall, Bell, Quinn); Department of Medicine (Stall, Bell, Quinn), Sinai Health System; Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care (Quinn), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Medicine (Isenberg), University of Ottawa; Bruyère Research Institute (Isenberg, Ailon), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - Sarina R Isenberg
- Departments of Medicine (Gitau, Stall, Ailon, Bell, Quinn) and Family and Community Medicine (Isenberg), University of Toronto; ICES (Huang, Stall, Bell, Quinn); Department of Medicine (Stall, Bell, Quinn), Sinai Health System; Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care (Quinn), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Medicine (Isenberg), University of Ottawa; Bruyère Research Institute (Isenberg, Ailon), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - Nathan Stall
- Departments of Medicine (Gitau, Stall, Ailon, Bell, Quinn) and Family and Community Medicine (Isenberg), University of Toronto; ICES (Huang, Stall, Bell, Quinn); Department of Medicine (Stall, Bell, Quinn), Sinai Health System; Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care (Quinn), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Medicine (Isenberg), University of Ottawa; Bruyère Research Institute (Isenberg, Ailon), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - Jonathan Ailon
- Departments of Medicine (Gitau, Stall, Ailon, Bell, Quinn) and Family and Community Medicine (Isenberg), University of Toronto; ICES (Huang, Stall, Bell, Quinn); Department of Medicine (Stall, Bell, Quinn), Sinai Health System; Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care (Quinn), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Medicine (Isenberg), University of Ottawa; Bruyère Research Institute (Isenberg, Ailon), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - Chaim M Bell
- Departments of Medicine (Gitau, Stall, Ailon, Bell, Quinn) and Family and Community Medicine (Isenberg), University of Toronto; ICES (Huang, Stall, Bell, Quinn); Department of Medicine (Stall, Bell, Quinn), Sinai Health System; Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care (Quinn), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Medicine (Isenberg), University of Ottawa; Bruyère Research Institute (Isenberg, Ailon), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - Kieran L Quinn
- Departments of Medicine (Gitau, Stall, Ailon, Bell, Quinn) and Family and Community Medicine (Isenberg), University of Toronto; ICES (Huang, Stall, Bell, Quinn); Department of Medicine (Stall, Bell, Quinn), Sinai Health System; Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care (Quinn), Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Medicine (Isenberg), University of Ottawa; Bruyère Research Institute (Isenberg, Ailon), Ottawa, Ont.; Department of Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
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Lapointe-Shaw L, Kiran T, Costa AP, Na Y, Sinha SK, Nelson KE, Stall NM, Ivers NM, Jones A. Physician home visits in Ontario: a cross-sectional analysis of patient characteristics and postvisit use of health care services. CMAJ Open 2022; 10:E732-E745. [PMID: 35944922 PMCID: PMC9377547 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20210307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is unknown how much of current physician home visit volume is driven by low-complexity or low-continuity visits. Our objectives were to measure physician home visit volumes and costs in Ontario from 2005/06 to 2018/19, and to compare patient characteristics and postvisit use of health care services across home visit types. METHODS This was a retrospective cross-sectional study using health administrative data. We examined annual physician home visit volumes and costs from 2005/06 to 2018/19 in Ontario, and characteristics and postvisit use of health care services of residents who received at least 1 home visit from any physician in 2014/15 to 2018/19. We categorized home visits as palliative, provided to a patient who also received home care services or "other," and compared characteristics and outcomes between groups. RESULTS A total of 4 418 334 physician home visits were performed between 2005/06 and 2018/19. More than half (2 256 667 [51.1%]) were classified as "other" and accounted for 39.1% ($22 million) of total annual physician billing costs. From 2014/15 to 2018/19, of the 413 057 home visit patients, 240 933 (58.3%) were adults aged 65 or more, and 323 283 (78.3%) lived in large urban areas. Compared to the palliative care and home care groups, the "other" group was younger, had fewer comorbidities, and had lower rates of emergency department visits and hospital admissions in the 30 days after the visit. INTERPRETATION About half of physician home visits in 2014/15 to 2018/19 were to patients who were receiving neither palliative care nor home care, a group that was younger and healthier, and had low use of health care services after the visit. There is an opportunity to refine policy tools to target patients most likely to benefit from physician home visits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Lapointe-Shaw
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University Health Network and Sinai Health System; Department of Medicine (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University of Toronto; Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (Lapointe-Shaw, Ivers), Women's College Hospital; ICES (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Costa, Na, Nelson, Ivers, Jones); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Sinha, Stall, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran, Sinha, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran) and MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Kiran), St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Costa, Jones), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont.; Department of Paediatrics (Nelson), The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Ivers), Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ont.
| | - Tara Kiran
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University Health Network and Sinai Health System; Department of Medicine (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University of Toronto; Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (Lapointe-Shaw, Ivers), Women's College Hospital; ICES (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Costa, Na, Nelson, Ivers, Jones); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Sinha, Stall, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran, Sinha, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran) and MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Kiran), St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Costa, Jones), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont.; Department of Paediatrics (Nelson), The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Ivers), Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ont
| | - Andrew P Costa
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University Health Network and Sinai Health System; Department of Medicine (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University of Toronto; Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (Lapointe-Shaw, Ivers), Women's College Hospital; ICES (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Costa, Na, Nelson, Ivers, Jones); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Sinha, Stall, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran, Sinha, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran) and MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Kiran), St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Costa, Jones), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont.; Department of Paediatrics (Nelson), The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Ivers), Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ont
| | - Yingbo Na
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University Health Network and Sinai Health System; Department of Medicine (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University of Toronto; Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (Lapointe-Shaw, Ivers), Women's College Hospital; ICES (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Costa, Na, Nelson, Ivers, Jones); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Sinha, Stall, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran, Sinha, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran) and MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Kiran), St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Costa, Jones), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont.; Department of Paediatrics (Nelson), The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Ivers), Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ont
| | - Samir K Sinha
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University Health Network and Sinai Health System; Department of Medicine (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University of Toronto; Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (Lapointe-Shaw, Ivers), Women's College Hospital; ICES (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Costa, Na, Nelson, Ivers, Jones); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Sinha, Stall, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran, Sinha, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran) and MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Kiran), St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Costa, Jones), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont.; Department of Paediatrics (Nelson), The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Ivers), Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ont
| | - Katherine E Nelson
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University Health Network and Sinai Health System; Department of Medicine (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University of Toronto; Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (Lapointe-Shaw, Ivers), Women's College Hospital; ICES (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Costa, Na, Nelson, Ivers, Jones); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Sinha, Stall, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran, Sinha, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran) and MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Kiran), St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Costa, Jones), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont.; Department of Paediatrics (Nelson), The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Ivers), Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ont
| | - Nathan M Stall
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University Health Network and Sinai Health System; Department of Medicine (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University of Toronto; Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (Lapointe-Shaw, Ivers), Women's College Hospital; ICES (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Costa, Na, Nelson, Ivers, Jones); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Sinha, Stall, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran, Sinha, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran) and MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Kiran), St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Costa, Jones), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont.; Department of Paediatrics (Nelson), The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Ivers), Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ont
| | - Noah M Ivers
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University Health Network and Sinai Health System; Department of Medicine (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University of Toronto; Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (Lapointe-Shaw, Ivers), Women's College Hospital; ICES (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Costa, Na, Nelson, Ivers, Jones); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Sinha, Stall, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran, Sinha, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran) and MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Kiran), St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Costa, Jones), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont.; Department of Paediatrics (Nelson), The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Ivers), Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ont
| | - Aaron Jones
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University Health Network and Sinai Health System; Department of Medicine (Lapointe-Shaw, Sinha, Stall), University of Toronto; Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (Lapointe-Shaw, Ivers), Women's College Hospital; ICES (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Costa, Na, Nelson, Ivers, Jones); Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Lapointe-Shaw, Kiran, Sinha, Stall, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran, Sinha, Ivers), University of Toronto; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kiran) and MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Kiran), St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (Costa, Jones), McMaster University; Centre for Integrated Care (Costa), St. Joseph's Health System, Hamilton, Ont.; Department of Paediatrics (Nelson), The Hospital for Sick Children; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Ivers), Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ont
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Webber C, Isenberg SR, Scott M, Hafid A, Hsu AT, Conen K, Jones A, Clarke A, Downar J, Kadu M, Tanuseputro P, Howard M. Inpatient Palliative Care Is Associated with the Receipt of Palliative Care in the Community after Hospital Discharge: A Retrospective Cohort Study. J Palliat Med 2022; 25:897-906. [PMID: 35007439 DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2021.0496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: For hospitalized patients with palliative care needs, there is little evidence on whether postdischarge outcomes differ if inpatient palliative care was delivered by a palliative care specialist or nonspecialist/generalist. Objective: To evaluate relationships between inpatient palliative care involvement and physician-delivered palliative care in the community after hospital discharge among individuals with limited life expectancy. Design: Population-based retrospective cohort study using administrative health data. Settings/Subjects: Adults with a predicted median survival of six months or less admitted to acute care hospitals in Ontario, Canada, between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2017, and discharged to the community. Measurements: Inpatient palliative care involvement was classified as high (e.g., palliative care unit), medium (e.g., palliative care specialist consult), low (e.g., generalist-delivered palliative care), or none. Community palliative care included outpatient and home and clinic visits three weeks postdischarge. Results: Among 3660 hospitalized adults, 82 (2.2%) received inpatient palliative care with high level of involvement, 462 (12.6%) with medium level of involvement, 525 (14.3%) with low level of involvement, and 2591 (70.8%) had no inpatient palliative care. Patients who received inpatient palliative care were more likely to receive community palliative care after discharge than those who received no inpatient palliative care. These associations were stronger among patients who received high/medium palliative care involvement than patients who received low palliative care involvement. Conclusions: Inpatient palliative care, including that delivered by generalists, is associated with an increased likelihood of community palliative care after discharge. Increased inpatient generalist palliative care may help support patients' palliative care needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen Webber
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,ICES, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarina R Isenberg
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mary Scott
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Abe Hafid
- Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amy T Hsu
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katrin Conen
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aaron Jones
- ICES, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anna Clarke
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,ICES, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - James Downar
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mudathira Kadu
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter Tanuseputro
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,ICES, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michelle Howard
- Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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