Timing of Palliative Care, End-of-Life Quality Indicators, and Health Resource Utilization
For most ovarian cancer patients and their carers there comes a time for acceptance and a need for support and compassion. This is best provided through Palliative Care (PC). This study looks at the benefits to the individual and community which result from earlier referral to PC.
Retrospective analysis of the outcomes of more than 8000 women with ovarian cancer showed survival of about 3 years with death around the age of Seventy. 98% of these women received PC. One third of the women did not start PC before the last 3 months of life
There was a significant difference in the amount of aggressive end-of-life care, with fewer admissions to ICU, consultations with specialists, and less late stage chemotherapy for those women who began PC early. Also significant was the lower rate of death in Hospital which was about two-thirds less likely.
Avoiding aggressive end-of-life care has previously been shown to greatly improve the individual’s quality of life. The authors also stress the savings to the community which results from decreased use of high-cost clinical services. Education of care providers and cancer patients towards early PC will benefit all.
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