Factors associated with place of death for terminal cancer patients who wished to die at home

Abstract

A patient's desired place of death is an important indicator of the quality of dying. The purpose of this study was to investigate the actual places of death of terminal cancer patients who wished to die at home and the factors affecting their actual place of death. A retrospective survey was used to analyze the medical records of 143 terminal cancer patients who wanted to die at home among a population of 168 patients who used a home hospice care service more than once between March 2016 and December 2019. Patients who wanted to die at home represented 85.1% of the total study population (143 patients). Of these, 31.5% and 68.5% were home and hospital deaths, respectively. Factors associated with the actual place of death of patients who desired to die at home were marital status (odds ratio [OR] = 2.57, confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-6.13), the patient's status at the time of their enrollment in a home hospice care service (OR = 3.30, CI: 1.56-7.02), and the primary caregiver's relationship with the patient (OR = 2.52, CI: 1.12-5.66). Most terminal cancer patients studied did not die in their preferred place. Support from policies and hospice professionals is needed to decrease caregiver burden and help patients die wherever they want. Consequently, quality of end-of-life care can be improved.