Yi-Chang Chou1, Yung-Feng Yen2, Rung-Chuang Feng3, Meng-Ping Wu3, Ya-Ling Lee4, Dachen Chu5, Sheng-Jean Huang6, J Randall Curtis7, Hsiao-Yun Hu8. 1. Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. 2. Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Section of Infectious Diseases, Taipei City Hospital, Yangming Branch, Taipei, Taiwan; University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan. 3. Department of Nursing, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 4. University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dentistry, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. 5. University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Hospital and Health Care Administration, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurosurgery, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 6. University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurosurgery, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Surgery, Medical College, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. 7. Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA; Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle, USA. 8. Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; University of Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: A3547@tpech.gov.tw.
Abstract
CONTEXT: Hospice care focuses on improving the quality of end-of-life care and respecting patients' preferences regarding end-of-life treatment. The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the utilization of hospice services is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the utilization of hospice care services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: All patients (n = 19,900) cared for at Taipei City Hospital from January 2019 to April 2020 were divided into three time points: January-April 2019 (before COVID-19), May-December 2019 (interim), and January-April 2020 (during COVID-19). This cohort study compared the monthly utilization of hospice services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in hospice home visits (194 vs. 184; P = 0.686) and new enrollments (15 vs. 14; P = 0.743) to hospice home care before and during the pandemic. However, the bed occupancy rate in hospice units in the hospital was significantly reduced from 66.2% before the pandemic to 37.4% during the pandemic (P = 0.029), whereas that in nonhospice units had a nonsignificant decrease from 81.6% before the pandemic to 71.8% during the pandemic (P = 0.086). During the pandemic, the number of inpatient days was affected more severely in hospice units than in nonhospice units (-42.4% vs. -10.9%; P = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that hospice home care services were maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the utilization of hospice inpatient care services reduced. Home care for hospice patients is an essential component of palliative care during a pandemic.
CONTEXT: Hospice care focuses on improving the quality of end-of-life care and respecting patients' preferences regarding end-of-life treatment. The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the utilization of hospice services is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the utilization of hospice care services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: All patients (n = 19,900) cared for at Taipei City Hospital from January 2019 to April 2020 were divided into three time points: January-April 2019 (before COVID-19), May-December 2019 (interim), and January-April 2020 (during COVID-19). This cohort study compared the monthly utilization of hospice services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in hospice home visits (194 vs. 184; P = 0.686) and new enrollments (15 vs. 14; P = 0.743) to hospice home care before and during the pandemic. However, the bed occupancy rate in hospice units in the hospital was significantly reduced from 66.2% before the pandemic to 37.4% during the pandemic (P = 0.029), whereas that in nonhospice units had a nonsignificant decrease from 81.6% before the pandemic to 71.8% during the pandemic (P = 0.086). During the pandemic, the number of inpatient days was affected more severely in hospice units than in nonhospice units (-42.4% vs. -10.9%; P = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that hospice home care services were maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the utilization of hospice inpatient care services reduced. Home care for hospice patients is an essential component of palliative care during a pandemic.
Authors: Gisele Nepomuceno de Andrade; Leonardo Ferreira Matoso; Tércia Moreira Ribeiro da Silva; Mark Anthony Beinner; Márcia Christina Caetano Romano; Ed Wilson Rodrigues Vieira Journal: Rev Saude Publica Date: 2022-06-24 Impact factor: 2.772
Authors: Thomas Round; Veline L'Esperance; Joanne Bayly; Kate Brain; Lorraine Dallas; John G Edwards; Thomas Haswell; Crispin Hiley; Natasha Lovell; Julia McAdam; Grace McCutchan; Arjun Nair; Thomas Newsom-Davis; Elizabeth K Sage; Neal Navani Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2021-05-10 Impact factor: 7.640
Authors: Cristina M Beltran-Aroca; Rafael Ruiz-Montero; Antonio Llergo-Muñoz; Leticia Rubio; Eloy Girela-López Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-11-15 Impact factor: 4.614