Identification of patients served in Aydın Adnan Menderes Universıty Hospital Palyative Care Center

Introduction and Aim: Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach that aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families who are faced with problems associated with life-threatening situations. With the increase in the elderly population and the chronicity of diseases, the need for palliative care is increasing; however, the available resources cannot meet the need. Effective and successful use of existing resources is only possible with accurate identification of clinical characteristics of patients receiving palliative care and the factors affecting the length of stay and mortality. The number of studies on this subject is quite limited. In this study, it was aimed to define the clinical and demographic characteristics, length of stay and discharge status of the patients receiving service in ADU Palliative Care Center and the factors affecting them. Materials and Methods: Patients who were hospitalized in ADU Hospital Palliative Care Center between 1 December 2020 and 28 February 2022 were included in the descriptive study. The data collection form created by us was filled in retrospectively through the MIA-MED hospital information system and patient files. The data obtained were evaluated through the SPSS 25.0 package software.. Results: 52.4% of 126 patients with a mean age of 73.1±13.8 were female. Cardiovascular disease (61.9%), malignancy (48.4%) and diabetes (30.2%) were the most common comorbid conditions. The patients most frequently (58.7%) needed oxygen support by nasal cannula or mask; It was determined that 61.1% were fed enterally and 45.2% had decubitus. The mean hospital stay was 36.5±60.2 days. Presence of malignancy, use of ventilator, feeding with NG tube and presence of decubitus had an effect on length of stay (p<0.05). 42.2% of the patients were discharged to home. Presence of malignancy, neurological diseases, need for oxygen support, parenteral nutrition, and impairment of electrolyte levels, kidney and/or liver functions at the time of first hospitalization had influence over discharge status (p<0.05). Conclusion: Individuals of all ages and genders with different diseases may need palliative care support. Studies should be carried out to increase the knowledge and awareness of the healthcare professionals and the public about palliative care in order to guide all patients who need supportive treatment. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients should be well known in order to increase the quality of the service provided by palliative care centers and to use existing resources effectively. More study needs to be done in this subject. Keywords: Palliative Care, Length of Hospitalization, Discharge Status