Improving the safety and quality of end-of-life in an Australian private hospital setting: An audit of documented end-of-life care
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Australasian Journal on Ageing
Volume
40
Issue
4
First Page
449
Last Page
456
Publisher
Wiley
School
Centre for Research in Aged Care / School of Nursing and Midwifery
RAS ID
36590
Funders
Edith Cowan University
Hollywood Private Hospital Research Foundation
Ron Woss Scholarship
Western Australian Nurses Memorial Charitable Trust
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.
DOI
10.1111/ajag.12986
Access Rights
subscription content
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