[Netherlands] Potentially inappropriate end of life care and healthcare costs in the last 30 days of life in regions providing integrated palliative care in the Netherlands: A registration-based study

[Netherlands] Potentially inappropriate end of life care and healthcare costs in the last 30 days of life in regions providing integrated palliative care in the Netherlands: A registration-based study
International Journal of Integrated Care; by Chantal F R Pereira, Anne-Floor Q Dijxhoorn, Berdine Koekoek, Monique van den Broek, Karin van der Steen, Marijanne Enge, Marjon van Rijn, Judith M Meijers, Jeroen Hasselaar, Agnes van der Heide, Bregje D Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Marieke H J van den Beuken-van Everdingen, Yvette M van der Linden, Manon S Boddaert, Patrick P T Jeurissen, Matthias A W Merkx, Natasja J H Raijmakers; 7/24
This study aimed to assess the effect of integrated palliative care (IPC) on potentially inappropriate end- of-life care and healthcare-costs in the last 30 days of life in the Netherlands. In regions providing IPC deceased adults (n = 37,468) received significantly less potentially inappropriate end-of-life care post-implementation compared to pre-implementation. Mean hospital costs significantly decreased for deceased adults who received IPC ... while mean costs increased for general practitioner services. This study shows less potentially inappropriate end-of-life care and a shift in healthcare costs from hospital to general practitioner and home care with IPC.