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Table 1 Sociodemographic and medical characteristics of palliative care patients as noted by an out-of-hours GP (N = 529)

From: End-of-life hospital referrals by out-of-hours general practitioners: a retrospective chart study

  

Totaln = 529 %

Referraln = 68 %

No Referraln = 461 %

P-value

Gender

    
 

 Male

53

47

54

0.283

Age (years)

    
 

 Mean (SD)

73 (SD 14)

75 (SD 13)

73 (SD14)

0.297**

 

 ≥ 75

50

52

50

0.795

Residence

    
 

 Home

84

96

82

0.006

 

 Home for the elderly

16

4

18

 

Disease

    
 

 Cancer

76

94

73

<0.001

 

 Heart failure

4

4

4

0.743*

 

 COPD

3

0

3

0.234*

 

 Other diseases

18

1

20

<0.001

Terminal status

    
 

 Terminally ill

73

54

75

<0.001

Family

    
 

 Family available

59

62

58

0.594

 

 Family burden

7

9

7

0.455*

Receiving professional nursing care

    
 

 Receiving professional nursing care

41

12

46

<0.001

Patients wish

    
 

 Patients’ wish to stay at home

10

12

9

0.520

Medical aspects

    
 

 Information transfer by patients’ GP

24

9

27

0.002

 

 Patient was receiving chemotherapy

4

12

2

0.001*

 

 Hospitalization was already planned within three days

2

10

1

<0.001*

 

 Patient or family had already contacted a hospital specialist

2

9

1

<0.001*

  1. *Fisher Exact Test (2-sided).
  2. ** T-test.