Did covid-19 pandemic modify palliative care utilisation in 2020? a retrospective observational study comparing 2020 and 2019 administrative data in tuscany, italy
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1
Department of Health Science, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy Italy
2
Quality and Equity Unit, Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, 50141 Florence, Italy. Italy
Publication date: 2023-04-26
Popul. Med. 2023;5(Supplement):A51
ABSTRACT
Background and objective:
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for palliative care (PC) to relieve suffering at the End-of-life (EOL). The study aims to assess the early impact of COVID-19 over EOL quality of care received by patients, comparing 2019-2020 data.
Methods:
Retrospective observational study based on administrative data. The study population includes all Tuscany region (Italy) residents (≥18 years) died from 01/01/2019 to 31/12/2020 with a clinical history of cancer and/or with chronic diseases (heart-failure/chronic-pulmonary-disease/dementia/ictus/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis/muscular-dystrophy/myotonic-dystrophy/kidney-failure). Patients were divided upon year of death. EOL care quality outcome measures were evaluated. Analysis was performed using STATA-15 (significancy P"