Improving the safety and quality of end-of-life in an Australian private hospital setting: An audit of documented end-of-life care

Abstract

Objective:

This study reviewed the audit outcomes of the documented end-of-life care in a private hospital against the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care's five recommended processes of care (Essential Elements (EE) 1-5).

Methods:

A retrospective database review of deaths over a three-year period was undertaken. This was followed by a sequential medical record audit (n = 100) to evaluate the end-of-life care documented in the three days preceding death.

Results:

There were 997 deaths from 2015 to 2017. The audit found communication to family the patient was dying (91%) and to the patient (36%) (EE1); evidence of specialist referral (68%) (EE2); assessment of the ability to eat/drink in the last 72 hours (86%) (EE3); advance care directives (13%) and hospital resuscitation plans (92%) (EE4); and response to patient or family concerns (100%) (EE5).

Conclusions:

Components of the processes of care of the Essential Elements need to be addressed to improve patient-centred communication and shared decision-making.

RAS ID

36590

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

12-1-2021

Volume

40

Issue

4

Funding Information

Edith Cowan University

Hollywood Private Hospital Research Foundation

Ron Woss Scholarship

Western Australian Nurses Memorial Charitable Trust

School

Centre for Research in Aged Care / School of Nursing and Midwifery

Copyright

subscription content

Publisher

Wiley

Comments

Saunders, R., Seaman, K., Glass, C., Gullick, K., Andrew, J., & Davray, A. (2021). Improving the safety and quality of end‐of‐life in an Australian private hospital setting: An audit of documented end‐of‐life care. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 40(4), 449-456.

https://doi.org/10.1111/ajag.12986

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1111/ajag.12986