IDENTIFYING OLDER ADULTS IN U.S. PRIMARY CARE SETTINGS TO BENEFIT FROM PRIMARY PALLIATIVE CARE

摘要

Community-based palliative care is an important component of advanced illness management to address complex care needs of older adults living longer near end of life. There is an urgent need to provide primary palliative care in primary care settings by all clinicians that includes basic pain and symptom management, and discussions about advance care planning. However, a description of older adults in primary care settings with advanced illness and symptom burden who would benefit from primary palliative care is lacking. This study uses data from the National Ambulatory and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys from 2009–2011 to provide a national description of health care utilization of older adults with advanced illness and symptoms in primary care settings who may benefit from primary palliative care.