PLoS One. 2014 Nov 25;9(11):e113188. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113188. eCollection 2014
Gadoud A, Kane E, Macleod U, Ansell P, Oliver S, Johnson M
Using the UK primary care database, Clinical Practice Research Datalink, this study explored if and when patients with advanced chronic heart failure are recognised as needing palliative care and was compared to patients with cancer. This was determined by the patients being entered on the Quality and Outcomes Framework palliative care register in 2009. In this year, over 30,000 adults with records on the database had died. Of the useable records (27,689), 5311 (19%) were on the palliative care register. In total 3122 patients with heart failure died, with 7% (234) of these being on the palliative care register. This compared to 48% (3669/7608) of patients with cancer. Furthermore, 29% (69/234) of patients with heart failure were entered onto the register within a week of their death, compared to 294 (8%) for cancer. This study shows inequity in the timing of and overall recognition of palliative care needs for patients with heart failure compared with cancer in primary care.
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