Hospitalization Pattern in a Hospital-based Palliative Care Program: An Example From Saudi Arabia
- 8 October 2008
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®
- Vol. 26 (1), 52-56
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1049909108324819
Abstract
The few palliative care programs available to date in Saudi Arabia are largely hospital-based. Subacute palliative care models have not been developed yet. This retrospective review was conducted to assess the patterns and outcomes of hospital-based palliative care unit admissions in the absence of subacute palliative care models. We reviewed 759 eligible palliative care unit admissions related to 629 cancer patients during a 4-year period. Of all admissions, 66% were hospitalized through the emergency room. The average hospital stay was 24 days. The majority (86%) of patients died in-hospital. These results suggest that end-of-life quality indicators are unlikely to improve depending on hospital-based palliative care models only. To improve palliative care services in Saudi Arabia, other subacute models may need to be considered.Keywords
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