End-of-life care during and after an acute hospitalization in older patients with cancer, end-stage organ failure, or frailty: A sub-analysis of a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND

Many patients show deterioration in functioning and increased care needs in the last year of life. End-of-life care needs and health care utilization might differ between groups of acutely hospitalized older patients.

AIM

To investigate differences in geriatric conditions, advance care planning, and health care utilization in patients with cancer, organ failure, or frailty, who died within 1 year after acute hospitalization.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study conducted between 2002 and 2008, with 1-year follow-up.

SETTING

University teaching hospital in the Netherlands.

PARTICIPANTS

Aged ⩾65 years, acutely hospitalized for ⩾48 h, and died within 1 year after hospitalization. At admission, all patients received a systematic comprehensive geriatric assessment. Hospital records were searched for advance care planning information and health care utilization. Differences between patient groups were calculated.

RESULTS

In total, 306 patients died within 1 year after acute admission (35%) and were included; 151 with cancer, 98 with end-stage organ failure, and 57 frail older persons. At hospital admission, 72% of the frail group had delirium and/or severe pre-existing cognitive impairment. The frail and organ failure group had many pre-existing disabilities. Three months post-discharge, 75% of the frail and organ failure group had died, 45% of these patients had an advance care plan in their hospital records.

CONCLUSION

Patients with frailty and organ failure had highest rates of geriatric conditions at hospital admission and often had missing information on advance care planning in the hospital records. There is a need to better identify end-of-life needs for these groups.