Existing evidence shows that most people would prefer to avoid admissions to hospital in the final months of life and to die at home. People who live in deprived areas are more likely to have more emergency hospital admissions in the last months of life and die in hospital compared to those living in less deprived areas. The COVID-19 pandemic led to this inequality widening. However, this has not been described in detail for advanced lung disease such as cancer of the lung, lung lining (mesothelioma) or non-cancer conditions affecting the lungs (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Interstitial Lung Disease). The ongoing impact of the pandemic for patients with advanced lung disease is not yet understood.
To identify patterns in use of hospital services in the last year of life for those with advanced lung disease and to examine trends in inequalities by socio-economic group, including before, during and after the covid-19 pandemic. This work will generate new evidence on variation in potentially avoidable hospital admissions in the final months of life, specifically for those with advanced lung disease. A deeper understanding of this problem will enable the development of focused solutions to improve end-of-life care. This knowledge could also help plan how to support patients with advanced lung disease in future pandemics.
The findings will be shared widely with patients, health care professionals, and policy makers to support future NHS planning to tackle health inequalities for those living with advanced lung disease in disadvantaged areas. This is part of a larger mixed-methods study, where qualitative interviews will help understand these findings.