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Physician continuity of care in the last year of life in community-dwelling adults: retrospective population-based study
  1. Michelle Howard1,
  2. Shuaib Hafid1,
  3. Sarina Roslyn Isenberg2,3,
  4. Colleen Webber4,
  5. James Downar5,
  6. Anastasia Gayowsky6,
  7. Aaron Jones6,7,
  8. Mary M Scott4,
  9. Amy T Hsu3,8,
  10. Katrin Conen9,
  11. Doug Manuel4,8 and
  12. Peter Tanuseputro3,4
  1. 1 Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  2. 2 Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  3. 3 Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  4. 4 Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  5. 5 Division of Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  6. 6 McMaster University, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  7. 7 Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  8. 8 Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  9. 9 Walker Family Cancer Centre and Niagara Health Sciences, McMaster University Department of Medicine, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  1. Correspondence to Michelle Howard, Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; mhoward{at}mcmaster.ca

Abstract

Objective To describe the timing of involvement of various physician specialties over the last year of life across different levels of primary care physician continuity for differing causes of death.

Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults who died in Ontario, Canada, between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2018, using linked population level health administrative data. Outcomes were median days between death and first and last outpatient palliative care specialist encounter, last outpatient encounter with other specialists and with the usual primary care physician. These were calculated by tertile of score on the Usual Provider Continuity Index, defined as the proportion of outpatient physician encounters with the patient’s primary care physician.

Results Patients’ (n=395 839) mean age at death was 76 years. With increasing category of usual primary care physician continuity, a larger proportion were palliative care generalists, palliative care specialist involvement decreased in duration and was concentrated closer to death, the primary care physician was involved closer to death, and other specialist physicians ceased involvement earlier. For patients with cancer, palliative care specialist involvement was longer than for other patients.

Conclusions Compared with patients with lower continuity, those with higher usual provider continuity were more likely to have a primary care physician involved closer to death providing generalist palliative care.

  • end of life care
  • cancer
  • supportive care

Data availability statement

The dataset from this study is held securely in coded form at ICES. While data sharing agreements prohibit ICES from making the dataset publicly available, access may be granted to those who meet pre­specified criteria for confidential access, available at www. ices.on.ca/DAS. The full dataset creation plan and underlying analytic code are available from the authors upon request, understanding that the computer programs may rely upon coding templates or macros that are unique to ICES and are therefore either inaccessible or may require modification.

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Data availability statement

The dataset from this study is held securely in coded form at ICES. While data sharing agreements prohibit ICES from making the dataset publicly available, access may be granted to those who meet pre­specified criteria for confidential access, available at www. ices.on.ca/DAS. The full dataset creation plan and underlying analytic code are available from the authors upon request, understanding that the computer programs may rely upon coding templates or macros that are unique to ICES and are therefore either inaccessible or may require modification.

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Footnotes

  • X @mhoward101, @sarina_isenberg, @jamesdownar, @queenofscotts10, @amytmhsu

  • Contributors MH, SRI, PT, ATH, CW, AJ, MMS and SH conceived the study. All authors designed the study and interpreted the results. AG analysed the data. MH wrote the manuscript. All authors revised the manuscript critically for important intellectual content, gave final approval of the version to be published and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work. MH is the guarantor for this manuscript, accepting full responsibility for the work and/or conduct of the study.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

  • Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.