The trajectory of palliative care costs over the last 5 months of life: a Canadian longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to highlight the trajectory of palliative care costs over the last five months of life in five urban centres across Canada.


METHODS
The study sample was comprised of 160 terminally ill patients and their main informal caregivers.


METHODS
A first interview took place in the patient's home, and subsequent follow-up interviews were conducted by telephone at two week intervals until the patient's passing.


METHODS
Participants were asked to provide information on the goods and services they used related to the patients' health condition, and on informal caregiving time.


RESULTS
The overall costs of care gradually increased from the fifth to the last month of the patients' life. A large part of this cost increase was attributable to inpatient care. Among outpatient care costs the largest increase was observed for home care. Informal care costs were particularly high over the last 3 months of life.


CONCLUSIONS
The knowledge gained from this study would be useful to policy makers when developing policies that could help families caring for a terminally ill loved one at home.
Dumont
Serge
S
School of Social Work, Pavillon Charles-De Koninck, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada, Laval University Cancer Research Center, Quebec City, QC, Canada. serge.dumont@svs.ulaval.ca
Jacobs
Philip
P
Turcotte
Véronique
V
Anderson
Donna
D
Harel
François
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002170:Canada; D017028:Caregivers / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000191:economics*; D019452:Terminally Ill; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult