Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41969126›Full record

ArticlePalliative & supportive care2026

Temporal trends in hospice deaths and causes of death in Italy, 2011-2022: A nationwide population-based study.

Edoardo Varratta, Angela Iurlaro, Giada Minelli, Arianna Guaita, Myriam Macaluso, Maria Beatrice Zazzara, Graziano Onder

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Article in Palliative & supportive care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Edoardo VarrattaUniversità Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Rome, Italy.
Angela IurlaroUniversità Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Rome, Italy.
Giada MinelliIstituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy.
Arianna GuaitaIstituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy.
Myriam MacalusoFondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Maria Beatrice ZazzaraUniversità Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Rome, Italy.
Graziano OnderUniversità Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3400-4491

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveHospices represent the cornerstone of modern palliative services. However, population-level data on hospice utilization and characteristics of patients dying in hospice remain limited to examine national temporal trends in hospice deaths in Italy from 2011 to 2022, with a focus on the underlying causes of death.

methodsWe performed a nationwide, population-based retrospective study using official mortality data from the Italian National Institute of Statistics. All deaths registered in Italy between 2011 and 2022 were included. Hospice deaths were identified as those occurring in licensed hospice facilities.

resultsHospice beds increased from 1,681 in 2011 to 3,419 in 2022, while hospice deaths more than doubled from 19,179 (3.2% of all deaths) to 43,972 (6.2%). The mean age of hospice deaths rose from 74.0 to 76.6 years. Among patients dying in hospice, neoplasms remained the leading cause of death but declined from 87.0% in 2011 to 73.8% in 2022, while cardiovascular deaths increased from 6.2% to 9.5%, neurological from 1.2% to 3.4%, and respiratory from 1.0% to 2.5%. The proportion of national neoplasm deaths occurring in hospice reached approximately 20% in 2022. Similarly, the proportion of non-neoplasm hospice deaths tripled (0.6-2.1%). SIGNIFICANCE OF THE

resultsBetween 2011 and 2022, hospice deaths in Italy more than doubled, reflecting substantial progress in expanding access to palliative care. The gradual increase in non-neoplasm hospice deaths suggests a shift toward greater inclusivity, although neoplasm remains predominant.

Indexed as

Cause of DeathHospice CareHospicesMortalityAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansItalyMaleRetrospective StudiesTime Factorscancercardiovascular diseaseend of lifeHospicepalliative care

Identifiers

PMID41969126
PMCPMC13166310

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