Palliative Care for Inmates in the Hospital Setting

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Geriatric Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Increasing US inmate population, with a rise in elderly prisoners.
• Existing barriers to palliative care for seriously ill incarcerated individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess palliative care consultation frequency for hospitalized inmates who died.
• Analyze the nature of these consultations, including timing, symptoms, and interventions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of inmate decedents over a 10-year period.
• Noted reason and timing of palliative care consultations.
• Recorded symptoms, interventions, and patient characteristics.

Main Results:

• 45% of inmates received palliative care consultation before death.
• Consultations often occurred close to the date of death.
• Cancer patients were more likely to receive consultations; pain and delirium were key issues.

Conclusions:

• Palliative care is underutilized in the incarcerated population nearing end-of-life.
• Further research is needed to optimize palliative care delivery for inmates, considering their high comorbidity rates.