Abstract
IntroductionA fall in hospital deaths in dementia has been interpreted as indicating an improvement in end-of-life care. Whether other indicators of quality of end-of-life care, such as emergency department (ED) attendance, show a similar trend is unclear. MethodsRetrospective cohort study using electronic medical records from a large mental health care provider, linked to national mortality and hospital use data (2008–2013). ResultsOf 4867 patients, 78.6% (3824) had at least one ED attendance during their last year of life (mean 2.13, standard deviation 2.34, range 0–54). ED attendance increased over the time period (incidence rate ratio 1.62, 95% confidence interval 1.46–1.80 for 2012–2013 compared with 2008–2009). DiscussionED attendance in the last year of life for people with dementia is common and is increasing. Policy makers must pay attention to a broader range of indicators of poor end-of-life care alongside the place of death.
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