title: Investigating trends in discharge destinations and impact on allied health service utilization in an Australian hospice.
abstract: Australia's population is aging and increasing. The palliative care needs of the population are also increasing in parallel, with more patients being referred to services for a broad range of reasons including symptom management, psychosocial support, and end-of-life care. Our study looks at how this manifests at on inpatient hospice in Melbourne, Australia, in terms of discharge destinations and allied health service utilization. We noted a trend in more discharges to residential care facilities, which appeared more likely for those patients who were admitted for assessment or had longer length of stay. Patients who were admitted for assessment also appeared in overall to utilize allied health services more than those admitted for end-of-life care. This information will help tailor resource allocation according to the current trends.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology and Palliative Care, The Northern Hospital, Melbourne, Australia Department of Pain and Palliative Care, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia jackieyoong@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jaclyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yoong
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Medicine, St Vincent's Health, Melbourne, Australia Centre for Palliative Care, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia RACP Chapter of Palliative Medicine, Sydney, Australia Australia and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine, ACT, Australia Palliative Care Clinical Network, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boughey
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Medicine, Caritas Christi Hospice, St Vincent's Health, Melbourne, Australia Aged Care Department, Western Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006738:Hospices / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000639:trends*; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000639:trends*; D012112:Residential Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: allied health; hospice; palliative care; resource allocation