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Table 1 Characteristics of patients and their palliative care episodes by Indigenous Identifier, with indication of missing data

From: Delay in commencement of palliative care service episodes provided to Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients: cross-sectional analysis of an Australian multi-jurisdictional dataset

 

Non-Indigenous

Indigenous

Identifier missing

Total

 

N

(%)

N

(%)

N

(%)

N

(%)

Patient-based characteristics

 Total Patients

59,226

(97.0)

645

(1.1)

1202

(2.0)

61,073

(100.0)

Sex

 Female

27,740

(46.8)

337

(52.3)

551

(45.8)

28,628

(46.9)

 Male

31,482

(53.2)

308

(47.8)

650

(54.1)

32,440

(53.1)

 Missing

4

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

1

(0.1)

5

(0.0)

Principal Diagnosis

 Cancer

45,704

(77.2)

481

(74.6)

987

(82.1)

47,172

(77.2)

 Non-cancer

13,212

(22.3)

162

(25.1)

203

(16.9)

13,577

(22.2)

 Missing

310

(0.5)

2

(0.3)

12

(1.0)

324

(0.5)

Remotenessa

 Major Cities

45,351

(76.6)

336

(52.1)

871

(72.5)

46,558

(76.2)

 Inner Regional

9985

(16.9)

161

(25.0)

285

(23.7)

10,431

(17.1)

 Outer Regional

3177

(5.4)

108

(16.7)

37

(3.1)

3322

(5.4)

 Remote/Very Remote

293

(0.5)

39

(6.1)

4

(0.3)

336

(0.6)

 Missing

420

(0.7)

1

(0.2)

5

(0.4)

426

(0.7)

SEIFAb (quintile)

 1 (most disadvantaged)

8849

(14.9)

200

(31.0)

182

(15.1)

9231

(15.1)

 2

8369

(14.1)

125

(19.4)

150

(12.5)

8644

(14.2)

 3

11,661

(19.7)

148

(23.0)

287

(23.9)

12,096

(19.8)

 4

12,727

(21.5)

104

(16.1)

230

(19.1)

13,061

(21.4)

 5 (least disadvantaged)

17,161

(29.0)

67

(10.4)

346

(28.8)

17,574

(28.8)

 Missing

459

(0.8)

1

(0.2)

7

(0.6)

467

(0.8)

Jurisdiction of Residence

 NSW

12,774

(21.6)

158

(24.5)

165

(13.7)

13,097

(21.4)

 QLD

13,119

(22.2)

171

(26.5)

226

(18.8)

13,516

(22.1)

 SA

4375

(7.4)

43

(6.7)

215

(17.9)

4633

(7.6)

 TAS

2645

(4.5)

48

(7.4)

28

(2.3)

2721

(4.5)

 VIC

16,740

(28.3)

67

(10.4)

176

(14.6)

16,983

(27.8)

 WA

9207

(15.6)

156

(24.2)

388

(32.3)

9751

(16.0)

 Missing

366

(0.6)

2

(0.3)

4

(0.3)

372

(0.6)

Episode-based characteristics

 Total episodes

81,571

(96.8)

983

(1.2)

1684

(2.0)

84,238

(100.0)

Age groupc

  < 65 years

21,722

(26.6)

535

(54.4)

506

(30.1)

22,763

(27.0)

  ≥ 65 years

59,842

(73.4)

448

(45.6)

1178

(70)

61,468

(73.0)

 Missing

7

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

7

(0.0)

Setting

 Hospital

46,405

(56.9)

620

(63.1)

778

(46.2)

47,803

(56.8)

 Community

35,166

(43.1)

363

(36.9)

906

(53.8)

36,435

(43.3)

 Missing

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

Palliative care problems (at episode start)d

 Pain

  Absent-Mild

59,463

(72.9)

653

(66.4)

1187

(70.5)

61,303

(72.8)

  Mod-Severe

20,508

(25.1)

306

(31.1)

420

(24.9)

21,234

(25.2)

  Missing

1600

(2.0)

24

(2.4)

77

(4.6)

1701

(2.0)

 Other symptoms

  Absent-Mild

46,436

(56.9)

542

(55.1)

902

(53.6)

47,880

(56.8)

  Mod-Severe

32,587

(40.0)

408

(41.5)

684

(40.6)

33,679

(40)

  Missing

2548

(3.1)

33

(3.4)

98

(5.8)

2679

(3.2)

 Psychological/spiritual

  Absent-Mild

60,050

(73.6)

687

(69.9)

1154

(68.5)

61,891

(73.5)

  Mod-Severe

20,329

(24.9)

275

(28.0)

497

(29.5)

21,101

(25.1)

  Missing

1192

(1.5)

21

(2.1)

33

(2.0)

1246

(1.5)

 Family/carer

  Absent-Mild

51,955

(63.7)

604

(61.4)

1029

(61.1)

53,588

(63.6)

  Mod-Severe

26,657

(32.7)

285

(29.0)

580

(34.4)

27,522

(32.7)

  Missing

2959

(3.6)

94

(9.6)

75

(4.5)

3128

(3.7)

Functional Status – episode start (approx. tertiles)e

 1 (most independent)

28,359

(34.8)

348

(35.4)

682

(40.5)

29,389

(34.9)

 2

25,922

(31.8)

333

(33.9)

540

(32.1)

26,795

(31.8)

 3 (least independent)

26,203

(32.1)

291

(29.6)

434

(25.8)

26,928

(32.0)

 Missing

1087

(1.3)

11

(1.1)

28

(1.7)

1126

(1.3)

Episode sequencef

 First

25,977

(31.9)

378

(38.5)

558

(33.1)

26,913

(32.0)

 Subsequent

55,594

(68.2)

605

(61.6)

1126

(66.9)

57,325

(68.1)

 Missing

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

Calendar period

 Jul 2013–Jun 2014

41,054

(50.4

507

(51.6)

855

(50.7)

42,416

(50.4)

 Jul 2014–Jun 2015

40,517

(49.7

476

(48.4)

829

(49.2)

41,822

(49.7)

 Missing

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

0

(0.0)

  1. aAustralian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) [13] recorded at entry to first episode of care
  2. bSocio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA) Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) [12] recorded at entry to first episode of care
  3. cRecorded at entry to first episode of care
  4. dPain, Other symptoms, Psychological/Spiritual and Family/Carer are the four domains of the clinician-rated Palliative Care Problem Severity Score (PCPSS) [15]
  5. eResource Utilisation Groups–Activities of Daily Living (RUG-ADL) total score [16]
  6. fSequence based on lookback to inception service’s participation in PCOC collection