Palliative Approach Remains Lacking in Terminal Hospital Admissions for Chronic Disease Across Rural Settings: Multisite Retrospective Medical Record Audit

Abstract

Introduction/Aim: Despite clear benefit from palliative care in end-stage chronic diseases, access is often limited, and rural access largely undescribed. This study sought to determine if a palliative approach is provided to people with chronic disease in their terminal hospital admission. Methods: Multisite, retrospective medical record audit, of decedents with a primary diagnosis of chronic lung, heart, or renal failure, or multimorbidity of these conditions over 2019. Results: Of 241 decedents, across five clinical sites, 143 (59.3%) were men, with mean age 80.47 years (SD 11.509), and diagnoses of chronic lung (n = 56, 23.2%), heart (n = 56, 23.2%), renal (n = 24, 10.0%) or multimorbidi..