Researchers’ Work from Kyungpook National University Focuses on Palliative and Supportive Care (Intensity of Care at the End of Life Among Older…

Heart Disease Weekly

Researchers' Work from Kyungpook National University Focuses on Palliative and Supportive Care (Intensity of Care at the End of Life Among Older Adults in Korea)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Heart Disease Weekly -- A new study on Health and Medicine - Palliative and Supportive Care is now available. According to news reporting out of Daegu, South Korea, by NewsRx editors, research stated, "To examine the intensity of care at the end of life among older adults in Korea and to identify the individual and institutional factors associated with care intensity. This secondary data analysis included a sample of 6278 decedents aged 65 years or older who were identified from the 2009 to 2010 Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort Claims data."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Kyungpook National University, "We examined the medical care received by the cohort in the last 30 days of their lives. Overall, 36.5% of the sample received at least 1 intensive care procedure in the last 30 days of their lives; 26.3% of patients experienced intensive care unit admission, with an average stay of 7.45 days, 19.5% received mechanical ventilation, 12.3% received cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and 15.5% had a feeding tube placement. A statistical analysis using a multiple logistic regression model with random effects showed that younger age, higher household income, primary diagnoses of diseases (ischemic heart disease, infectious disease, chronic lung disease, or chronic heart disease), and characteristics of care setting (large hospitals and facilities located in metropolitan areas) were significantly associated with the likelihood of receiving high-intensity care at the end of life. A substantial number of older adults in Korea experienced high-intensity end-of-life care. Both individual and institutional factors were associated with the likelihood of receiving high-intensity care."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "Gaining an understanding of the intensity of care at the end of life and the impact of the determinants would advance efforts to improve quality of care at the end of life for older adults in Korea."

For more information on this research see: Intensity of Care at the End of Life Among Older Adults in Korea. Journal of Palliative Care, 2018;():825859718754398. Journal of Palliative Care can be contacted at: Center Bioethics Clin RES Inst Montreal, 110 Pine Ave W, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1R7, Canada (see also Health and Medicine - Palliative and Supportive Care).

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting S.H. Kim, 1 College of Nursing, Research Institute of Nursing Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea. Additional authors for this research include S. Kang and M.K Song.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1177/0825859718754398. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

Publisher contact information for the Journal of Palliative Care is: Center Bioethics Clin RES Inst Montreal, 110 Pine Ave W, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1R7, Canada.

Keywords for this news article include: Daegu, South Korea, Health and Medicine, Palliative and Supportive Care.