[Does primary care intervention have an impact in the place of death for patients in a palliative care program?]

To determine whether there is a link between the place of death and the type of health-care provider: Primary Healthcare Team (PHT), Home Palliative Care Support Team (HPCST), or both. To identify other variables that may affect the place of death.

Descriptive, observational, retrospective study.

Three primary care center, Dirección Asistencial Sureste, Comunidad de Madrid (Madrid, Spain).

Patients over the age of 18 with an A.99.01 episode (patient palliative care supports) according to coding CIAP2, active in their electronic medical record (AP-Madrid) from January 2016 until December 2018 (n=499). Two hundred and twenty four (224) patients did not meet the inclusion criteria.

Two hundred and seventy five (275) patients were included. Their average age was 78. Eighty point four (80.4%) (n=221) patients had oncologic disease. Sixty seven point six (67.6%) (n=186) lived in an urban setting. There were significant differences (P<0.0001) between the place of death and the type of health-care provider team. Death occurred at home for: 23.1% (n=6) patients in follow-up by PHTs, 14.5% (n=10) patients in follow-up by HPCSTs, and 29.4% (n=53) patients in joint follow-up; 20.8% (n=46) were oncologic patients and 42.6% (n=23) were non-oncologic patients; 26.5% (n=63) had a main caregiver and 16.2% (n=6) didn't. Death occurred at home for 34.8% (n=31) of rural setting patients and for 20.4% (n=38) of urban setting patients (P<0.007).

Results support a higher percentage of deaths at home with joint follow-up.