Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Have increased deaths at home during the pandemic returned to pre-pandemic levels? An analysis of publicly available Scottish death registrations

Savinc, J.; Atherton, I. M.

Authors



Abstract

Deaths at home increased in Scotland at the start of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by ~35%. The majority did not involve COVID-19. This has implications for resource allocation and care at the end of life. Publicly available weekly death registrations by National Records Scotland (NRS) between 2015 and week 25 of 2023 were summarized by place of death. Linear and logistic regressions of the number and proportion of deaths at home, respectively, between 2015 and 2019, were used to estimate the expected number and proportion of deaths in the period 2020–2023 had the pandemic not happened. The number of deaths at home continues in 2023 at rates similar to the pandemic period and has not reverted to pre-pandemic levels. Had the pre-pandemic trend of growth in deaths at home continued, the number of deaths observed in 2020 would not be observed until 2025–2032. Deaths at home increased across Local Authorities but the scale of the increase varied. The impact of the increased number of deaths at home on quality of care and quality of death is not known and requires further study.

Citation

Savinc, J., & Atherton, I. M. (2023). Have increased deaths at home during the pandemic returned to pre-pandemic levels? An analysis of publicly available Scottish death registrations. Journal of Public Health, 45(4), e664–e667. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdad156

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jul 25, 2023
Online Publication Date Aug 18, 2023
Publication Date 2023-12
Deposit Date Aug 22, 2023
Publicly Available Date Aug 22, 2023
Journal Journal of Public Health
Print ISSN 1741-3842
Electronic ISSN 1741-3850
Publisher Oxford University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 45
Issue 4
Pages e664–e667
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdad156
Keywords Mortality, older people, places
Public URL http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/3175601

Files





You might also like



Downloadable Citations