Intensity of outpatient physician care in the last year of life: a population-based retrospective descriptive study

BACKGROUND: For many patients, health care needs increase toward the end of life, but little is known about the extent of outpatient physician care during that time. The objective of this study was to describe the volume and mix of outpatient physician care over the last 12 months of life among patients dying with different end-of-life trajectories. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective descriptive study involving adults (aged ≥ 18 yr) who died …