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The Location of Death and Dying Across Canada: A Study Illustrating the Socio-Political Context of Death and Dying

Author

Listed:
  • Donna M. Wilson

    (Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada)

  • Ye Shen

    (School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada)

  • Begoña Errasti-Ibarrondo

    (Faculty of Nursing, University of Navarra, 31009 Pamplona, Spain)

  • Stephen Birch

    (Centre for the Business and Economics of Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia)

Abstract

Background: Concern has existed for many years about the extensive use of hospitals by dying persons. In recent years, however, a potential shift out of hospital has been noticed in a number of developed countries, including Canada. In Canada, where high hospital occupancy rates and corresponding long waits and waitlists for hospital care are major socio-political issues, it is important to know if this shift has continued or if hospitalized death and dying remains predominant across Canada. Methods: Recent individual-anonymous population-level inpatient Canadian hospital data were analyzed to answer two questions: (1) what proportion of deaths in provinces and territories across Canada are occurring in hospital now? and (2) who is dying in hospital now? Results: In 2014–2015, 43.9% of all deaths in Canada (excluding Quebec) occurred in hospital. However, considerable cross-Canada differences in end-of-life hospital utilization were found. Some cross-Canada differences in hospital decedents were also noted, although most were older, male, and they died during a relatively short hospital stay after being admitted from their homes and through the emergency department after arriving by ambulance. Conclusion: Over half of all deaths in Canada are occurring outside of hospital now. Cross-Canada hospital utilization and inpatient decedent differences highlight opportunities for enhanced end-of-life care service planning and policy advancements.

Suggested Citation

  • Donna M. Wilson & Ye Shen & Begoña Errasti-Ibarrondo & Stephen Birch, 2018. "The Location of Death and Dying Across Canada: A Study Illustrating the Socio-Political Context of Death and Dying," Societies, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-7, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:8:y:2018:i:4:p:112-:d:181626
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peter Tanuseputro & Walter P Wodchis & Rob Fowler & Peter Walker & Yu Qing Bai & Sue E Bronskill & Douglas Manuel, 2015. "The Health Care Cost of Dying: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study of the Last Year of Life in Ontario, Canada," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-11, March.
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