title: Transitions between care settings after enrollment in a palliative care service in Italy: a retrospective analysis.
abstract: This study was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data that aimed to map patients' care transitions following admission to a specialist palliative care service in Italy called Antea Centre. Patients' data was extracted from the Antea local database from 2007 to 2011. External transitions were defined as a change in the setting of care, with the patient no longer being cared for by Antea staff. Internal transitions were defined as a change in the setting of care, with the care still being provided by Antea staff. A total of 1123 patients out of 5313 admitted to the palliative service (21%) experienced transitions. Patients who experienced no transitions after their admission to the palliative care service were more likely to have a Karnofsky Performance Scale Index <30, to have been referred by a hospital physician, to have a shorter survival time, and to have home as their place of death (P<0.001). Although the patients with no transitions had worse clinical conditions, organisations should pay attention to reducing the possible negative effects of transitions, such as discontinuity of care and poor coordination.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy. d.angelo@med.uniroma2.ituniroma2.it
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.forename: Mastroianni
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiara
authors.forename: Ercole
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vellone
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alvaro
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Casale
authors.forename: Lucatelli
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stefania
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Latina
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matarese
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: De Marinis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D010166:Palliative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies