Table 1 Patient characteristics
n = 249(%)a | |
|---|---|
Age at initial clinic appointment, mean in years (SD) | 68.7 (12.7) |
Sex | |
Female | 134 (53.8) |
Male | 115 (46.1) |
Relationship status (n = 243) | |
Married/Defacto | 165 (67.9) |
Single | 29 (11.9) |
Widowed | 32 (13.1) |
Divorced/Separated | 17 (7.0) |
Place of birth (n = 246) | |
Australia/New Zealand | 180 (73.2) |
United Kingdom/Europe | 49 (19.9) |
Other | 17 (6.9) |
Source of referral to clinic (n = 245) | |
Specialist clinician | 108 (44.0) |
Community palliative care service | 94 (38.3) |
Palliative care team on discharge from acute hospital | 18 (7.3) |
Palliative care team on discharge from inpatient palliative care unit | 11 (4.5) |
General practitioner | 8 (3.3) |
Other | 6 (2.4) |
Primary malignant diagnosis | |
Gastrointestinal | 80 (32.1) |
Genitourinary | 42 (16.9) |
Lung | 32 (12.9) |
Breast | 26 (10.4) |
Gynaecology | 24 (9.6) |
Haematological | 16 (6.4) |
Skin and soft tissue | 12 (4.8) |
Other | 17 (6.8) |
Age at death, mean in years (SD) | 69 (12.3) |
Place of death (n = 204) | |
Palliative care unit | 112 (54.9) |
Home | 52 (25.5) |
Acute hospital | 23 (11.3) |
Aged care facility | 17 (8.3) |
Median time between initial clinic appointment and death in days (IQR) | 110 (50.8–211) |
Median time between initial referral to palliative care service and death in days (IQR) | 152.5 (81.8–342.5) |