This measure aims to assess the timely resolution of a patient's urgent needs, by ensuring all unstable phases are resolved within 3 days. An unstable phase is a clinically meaningful period in a patient's condition where an urgent change in the plan of care or emergency treatment is required because: the patient experiences a new problem that was not anticipated in the existing plan of care, and/or the patient experiences a rapid increase in severity of a current problem, and/or the family/carers circumstances change suddenly impacting on patient care. 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. The computation is: (Numerator ÷ Denominator) x 100.

Limitations: there may be some circumstances in which it is not possible to stabilise a person in an unstable palliative care phase within 3 days due to patient and/or family choice. It is expected that this measure will be lower in community settings when compared to inpatient settings as urgent changes in care plans can typically be managed more quickly in such settings given the greater availability of staff and other resources. For example, it is not reasonable to expect that in-home palliative care would have the same suite of treatments and diagnostic resources readily accessible as inpatient palliative care.

Number of inpatient unstable palliative care phases lasting for 3 days or less within the reference year.

Number of inpatient unstable palliative care phases within the reference year.

Yes. Disaggregation by: Age, Sex, Indigenous status, State/territory, Socioeconomic area, and Remoteness Area.

Admitted Subacute and Non-Acute Hospital Care National Best Endeavours Data Set (ASNAHC NBEDS). The Admitted subacute and non-acute hospital care national best endeavours data set (ASNAHC NBEDS) aims to ensure national consistency in relation to defining and collecting information about care provided to subacute and non-acute admitted public and private patients in activity based funded public hospitals. Subacute care in this NBEDS is identified as admitted episodes in rehabilitation care, palliative care, geriatric evaluation and management care and psychogeriatric care. Non-acute care in this NBEDS is identified as admitted episodes of maintenance care.

Data are collected and nationally collated quarterly or annually (financial year) ending 30 June each year, but hospitals forward data to the relevant state or territory health authority on a regular basis (e.g. monthly). The scope of the NBEDS is: same-day and overnight admitted subacute and non-acute care episodes; admitted public patients provided on a contracted basis by private hospitals; admitted patients in rehabilitation care, palliative care, geriatric evaluation and management, psychogeriatric care and maintenance care treated in the hospital-in-the-home. Excluded from the scope are: hospitals operated by the Australian Defence Force, correctional authorities and Australia's external territories.

Public reporting.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Development of the National Palliative Care Measures. Canberra (AU): AIHW; 2024. Available from: www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/0ecbb5b1-4f83-4706-85ef-b0852318b7df/aihw-hse254-development-of-the-national-palliative-care-measures.pdf. Accessed 04 September 2024.

www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/51fde10c-2fec-4da5-be4f-384cf0849b9a/national-palliative-care-measures.pdf?v=20240627211341&inline=true

www.aihw.gov.au/reports/palliative-care-services/national-palliative-care-measures/contents/appropriate/measure-4-2b-timely-care