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Palliative inpatients in general hospitals: a one day observational study in Belgium
Marianne S Desmedt1, Yolande L de la Kethulle, Myriam I Deveugele
1Unité de Soins Continus, Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, 10 avenue Hippocrate, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgique. marianne.desmedt@uclouvain.be.
Insights
Approximately 9.4% of hospital inpatients are identified as palliative, highlighting the significant role of hospitals in end-of-life care. This study provides crucial insights into the palliative inpatient population and their diverse care needs.
Area of Science:
- Palliative Care
- Hospital Medicine
- End-of-Life Care
Background:
- Hospital care is critical for patients nearing the end-of-life.
- Limited data exists on the size and characteristics of the palliative inpatient population.
- Understanding this demographic is essential for improving care quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of palliative patients in Belgian hospitals.
- To analyze the socio-demographic characteristics of this population.
- To describe their diagnoses, prognoses, and care plans.
Main Methods:
- A one-day observational study was conducted in 14 randomly selected Belgian hospitals.
- Palliative patients were identified based on a defined criterion.
- Data on patient characteristics and care were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- 9.4% of 2639 inpatients were identified as palliative.
- The average age was 72 years, with cancer as the primary diagnosis in 51%.
- Care focused on comfort, with treatments like antibiotics and artificial nutrition administered symptomatically.
Conclusions:
- This study offers the first national estimate of the palliative inpatient population in Belgium.
- Hospitals are central to end-of-life care, with approximately one in ten inpatients being palliative.
- The palliative population is complex, requiring diverse and individualized care approaches.
Background:
Hospital care plays a major role at the end-of-life. But little is known about the overall size and characteristics of the palliative inpatient population. The aim of our study was to analyse these aspects.
Methods:
We conducted a one-day observational study in 14 randomly selected Belgian hospitals. Patients who met the definition of palliative patients were identified as palliative. Then, information about their socio-demographic characteristics, diagnoses, prognosis, and care plan were recorded and analysed.
Results:
There were 2639 in-patients on the day of the study; 9.4% of them were identified as "palliative". The mean age of the group was 72 years. The primary diagnosis was cancer in 51% of patients and the estimated life expectancy was shorter than 3 months in 33% of patients and longer than 1 year in 28% of patients. The professional caregivers expected for most of the patients (73%), that the treatment would improve patient comfort rather than prolong life. Antibiotics, transfusions, treatments specific to the pathology, and artificial nutrition were administered in 90%, 78%, 57% and 50% of the patients, respectively, but were generally given with a view to controlling the symptoms.
Conclusions:
This analysis presents a first national estimate of the palliative inpatient population. Our results confirm that hospitals play a major role at the end-of-life, with one out of ten inpatients identified as a "palliative" patient. These data also demonstrate the complexity of the palliative population and the substantial diversity of care that they can require.
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