A675A: Patterns of health service use by older women in their last year of life

Patterns of health service use by older women in their last year of life

Approved: 2020

Collaborators:

Ms Chris Harrington
Prof Julie Byles
Dr Xenia Dolja-Gore
Dr Peter Saul
Dr Charles Douglas

Synopsis

The aim is to identify health service and opioid use in the year prior to death, for women aged over 65, using cause of death data from the National Death Index for women who died during years 2002 - 2017 nationally, and to the most recent date for which there is hospital data for NSW. The intention is to identify whether there are different patterns of service use by women with cancer, women with heart failure and whether women in the community with advanced illness are prescribed opioids. Service and medication use will be described according to time in relation to death. Factors potentially affecting use include age at death, cause of death, place of death (hospital, (public/private) home) hospital admission and specialist procedures, comorbid conditions, living arrangement and other sociodemographic variables.