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Study reveals differences in use of end-of-life services among patients in U.S. and Canada
Tuesday, 24 May 2011 14:58

Study reveals differences in use of end-of-life services among patients in U.S. and CanadaResearchers from the National Cancer Institute recently conducted a study to compare the use of end-of-life services among patients in the U.S. and Ontario. According to their paper, which appears in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, elderly Americans who have advanced lung cancer are much less likely to opt for hospital and emergency room care, compared to their Canadian counterparts.

Although government-financed healthcare covers older patients in both countries, the research team reported that coverage at the end of life differs. Medicare covers hospice services for qualified Americans, while Canadians receive palliative care through sources such as inpatient units.

Lead author Joan L. Warren and her team evaluated data from the Ontario Cancer Registry on patients over the age of 65 who had died of non-small cell lung cancer between 1999 and 2003. They reported that patients in both countries used healthcare services extensively in the last month of life, but that residents of Ontario had significantly higher rates of hospital admissions and emergency room use.

"[These findings] will inform health planners and policymakers in each country regarding current patterns of end-of-life care and where there may be opportunities for changing practice patterns or programs," Warren wrote.
 

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