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Palliative care reduces hospital costs


August 5, 2015

New research led by Dr. Tom Foreman shows that people incur significantly lower health-care costs in hospital in the last two to three days of their lives if they have had a consultation with a palliative care specialist. The study also shows that the amount of cost reduction appears to be related to how soon after admission the consultation is initiated. The authors speculate that palliative care consultations encourage discussion of end-of-life goals and address issues such as futility and comfort, which can then impact the treatment and therapies that patients receive. The study, which was published in the Journal of Palliative Care, involved a cohort of 100 patients at The Ottawa Hospital.

For further information, please contact


Lois Ross
Senior Communications Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-737-8899 x73687
Cell: 613-297-8315
loross@ohri.ca