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Patterns of opioid use by older women in their last year of life

Synopsis

This data analysis will examine the frequency and sequence of medical interventions performed on people with advanced life-limiting disease. It will quantify the cumulative interventions performed on women with advanced disease, in the community, in private day-only hospitals or inpatient unplanned admissions. This will form the backdrop for comparing the trajectory of interventions and symptom relief via strong opioids after a woman has been admitted to hospital after an emergency department presentation. At what point is there is an increase or decrease in disease modifying interventions as illness progresses, and is this related to a change of management of pain. In particular, how does an emergency admission to hospital due to illness exacerbation affect health service pathways (which professionals, which settings, what interventions and what pain and breathlessness medication usage).