National palliative care measures

This measure is about ensuring that people with life-limiting illnesses receive palliative care in a timely manner. An unstable phase is where an urgent change is required in the care approach. Patient and/or family choices may delay the time it takes to stabilise a person in this phase.

Note, due to data availability only inpatient settings are captured.

The desired outcome is that more unstable palliative care phases last 3 days or less, meaning the measure will increase.

Objective area: Continuous   Outcome area: Timely care

Trends

In 2018, 76.1% of inpatient unstable palliative care phases lasted 3 days or less. This increased to 82.2% in 2023 (Figure 4.2.3).

Characteristics

Figure 4.2.4 shows that the proportion of inpatient unstable palliative care phases that lasted 3 days or less in 2023 varied by these characteristics:

• Proportions varied by state and territory, ranging between 98.2% in Tasmania to 57.2% in Queensland.
• The proportion was lowest in Remote and very remote areas (76.1%) and highest in Major cities (83.6%).
• People aged 15–24 years recorded the lowest proportion (73.1%), while those aged 25–34 years recorded the highest (88.0%). The remaining age groups were relatively consistent, with proportions of approximately 82%. It is important to note that the younger age groups (under 35 years) had substantially smaller denominators compared with the older age groups.
• The proportion increases as socioeconomic disadvantage decreased (from 80% to 83% for people living in the most compared to the least socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.
• The proportion was lower for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) people (79.3%) than for non-indigenous Australians (82.5%).
• Between 2021 and 2023 there was a decrease in the proportion of First Nations people who had inpatient unstable palliative care phases that lasted 3 days of less (from 83% to 79%) (AIHW 2024).

See Data table for detailed notes.