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American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®
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Hospitalization Pattern in a Hospital-based Palliative Care Program: An Example From Saudi Arabia

Samy A. Alsirafy, MB BCh, MSc, MD, ABHPM

Palliative Care Medicine Section, King Faisal Cancer Centre, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, alsirafy{at}gmail.com

Azza A. Hassan, MB BCh, MSc, MD, ABHPM

Palliative Care Medicine Section, King Faisal Cancer Centre, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Mohammad Z. Al-Shahri, MBChB, ABFM, FFCM, ABHPM

Palliative Care Medicine Section, King Faisal Cancer Centre, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The few palliative care programs available to date in Saudi Arabia are largely hospital-based. Subacute palliative care models have not been developed yet. This retrospective review was conducted to assess the patterns and outcomes of hospital-based palliative care unit admissions in the absence of subacute palliative care models. We reviewed 759 eligible palliative care unit admissions related to 629 cancer patients during a 4-year period. Of all admissions, 66% were hospitalized through the emergency room. The average hospital stay was 24 days. The majority (86%) of patients died in-hospital. These results suggest that end-of-life quality indicators are unlikely to improve depending on hospital-based palliative care models only. To improve palliative care services in Saudi Arabia, other subacute models may need to be considered.

Key Words: palliative care • end-of-life care • emergency room • in-hospital death • hospital stay • quality indicator • Saudi Arabia

This version was published on February 1, 2009

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, Vol. 26, No. 1, 52-56 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1049909108324819
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