{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]],"date-time":"2026-03-12T03:16:10Z","timestamp":1773285370541,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"CSIRO Publishing","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,29]],"date-time":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1748476800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":1371,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Palliative care has played a key role in the response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Australia. This review of consecutive patients with COVID-19 referred to the palliative care consultancy service of a tertiary health service in Melbourne describes the palliative care experience with COVID-19 in Australia.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The experiences of 55 patients (median age 86 years; interquartile range (IQR) 81\u201390 years; 55% male; median Charlson comorbidity score 6 (IQR 5\u20138); 85% with Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Status =50; 67% from residential aged care facilities) were reviewed to collect relevant data points.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Most patients were referred for end-of-life care with symptoms including dyspnoea (80%) and agitation\/delirium (60%). Continuous subcutaneous infusions were commenced in 71% of patients, with the most frequent medications being opioids and benzodiazepines in relatively small doses; 81% required =20 mg subcutaneous morphine equivalent and 64% required =10 mg subcutaneous midazolam over 24 h. Fifty patients (91%) died in hospital and the median time from palliative care referral to death was 3 days (IQR 1\u20135 days). Five patients were discharged back to residential aged care facilities. Overall, 80% of referrals were from the aged care team.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Our patients had similar demographics, symptoms, medication needs and outcomes to patients in similar settings overseas. We found the symptom management of patients with COVID-19 to be generally straightforward. However, the psychosocial needs of patients were predominant and contributed to complexity. This study highlights the need for well-integrated relationships between the palliative care consultancy service and the diverse range of key treating teams involved in the delivery of pandemic health care.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>What is known about the topic?<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Palliative care has played a key role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. There is limited research describing the Australian palliative care experience with the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>What does this paper add?<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Patients with COVID-19 referred to a hospital-based palliative care consultancy service in Australia had similar demographic characteristics, symptoms, medication needs and outcomes to patients with COVID-19 referred to other palliative care services in the UK and the US. There were significant psychosocial issues affecting patients, families and staff in the context of the pandemic.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>What are the implications for practitioners?<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study highlights the need for well-functioning working relationships between the palliative care consultancy service and other hospital teams that can be leveraged at a time of crisis, such as a pandemic, to provide optimal palliative care to patients.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1071\/ah21157","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,27]],"date-time":"2021-08-27T01:37:59Z","timestamp":1630028279000},"page":"667-674","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Palliative care and COVID-19 in the Australian context: a review of patients with COVID-19 referred to palliative care"],"prefix":"10.1071","volume":"45","author":[{"given":"Ruwani","family":"Mendis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"AWestern Health, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, Vic. 3021, Australia."},{"name":"BDepartment of Medicine, Western Health, The University of Melbourne, 176 Furlong Road, St. Albans, Vic. 3021, Australia."},{"name":"FCorresponding author. Email: ruwani.mendis@wh.org.au"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anita","family":"Haines","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AWestern Health, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, Vic. 3021, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Loretta","family":"Williams","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AWestern Health, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, Vic. 3021, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kirsten","family":"Mitchener","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AWestern Health, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, Vic. 3021, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fiona","family":"Grimaldi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AWestern Health, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, Vic. 3021, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marianne","family":"Phillips","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AWestern Health, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, Vic. 3021, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Margaret","family":"Shaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AWestern Health, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, Vic. 3021, Australia."},{"name":"CMercy Palliative Care, 3 Devonshire Road, Sunshine, Vic. 3020, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Thy Pham Hoai","family":"Nguyen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AWestern Health, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, Vic. 3021, Australia."},{"name":"DSchool of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Adrian","family":"Dabscheck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AWestern Health, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, Vic. 3021, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Odette","family":"Spruijt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AWestern Health, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, Vic. 3021, Australia."},{"name":"EFaculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Coperchini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AWestern Health, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, Melbourne, Vic. 3021, Australia."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"67","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025121501061385000_R1","unstructured":"Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria State Government. 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