Utilization of End-of-Life Care Rooms by Patients Who Died in a Single Hospice Unit at a National University Hospital in South Korea

Gyu Lee Kim; Seung Hun Lee; Yun Jin Kim; Jeong Gyu Lee; Yu Hyeon Yi; Young Jin Tak; Young Jin Ra; Sang Yeoup Lee; Young Hye Cho; Eun Ju Park; Young In Lee; Jung In Choi; Sae Rom Lee; Ryuk Jun Kwon; Soo Min Son

doi:10.14475/jhpc.2023.26.2.60

Utilization of End-of-Life Care Rooms by Patients Who Died in a Single Hospice Unit at a National University Hospital in South Korea

J Hosp Palliat Care. 2023 Jun 1;26(2):60-68. doi: 10.14475/jhpc.2023.26.2.60.

Authors

Gyu Lee Kim^{1

2}, Seung Hun Lee^{1

2}, Yun Jin Kim^{1

2

3}, Jeong Gyu Lee^{1

2

3}, Yu Hyeon Yi^{1

2

3}, Young Jin Tak^{1

2

3}, Young Jin Ra^{1

2}, Sang Yeoup Lee^{4

5}, Young Hye Cho^{3

5}, Eun Ju Park⁵, Young In Lee⁵, Jung In Choi⁵, Sae Rom Lee⁵, Ryuk Jun Kwon⁵, Soo Min Son⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea.
² Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea.
³ Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea.
⁴ Department of Medical Education, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea.
⁵ Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea.

Abstract

Purpose: For the dignity of patients nearing the end of their lives, it is essential to provide end-of-life (EoL) care in a separate, dedicated space. This study investigated the utilization of specialized rooms for dying patients within a hospice unit.

Methods: This retrospective study examined patients who died in a single hospice unit between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2021. Utilizing medical records, we analyzed the circumstances surrounding death, the employment of specialized rooms for terminally ill patients, and the characteristics of those who received EoL care in a shared room.

Results: During the 1,825-day survey period, deaths occurred on 632 days, and 799 patients died. Of these patients, 496 (62.1%) received EoL care in a dedicated room. The average duration of using this dedicated space was 1.08 days. Meanwhile, 188 patients (23.5%) died in a shared room. Logistic regression analysis revealed that a longer stay in the hospice unit was associated with a lower risk of receiving EoL care in a shared room (odds ratio [OR]=0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97~0.99; P=0.002). Furthermore, a higher number of deaths on the day a patient died was associated with a greater risk of receiving EoL care in a shared room (OR=1.66, 95% CI 1.33~2.08; P<0.001).

Conclusion: To ensure that more patients receive EoL care for an adequate duration in a private setting, additional research is necessary to increase the number of dedicated rooms and incorporate them into the hospice unit at an early stage.

Keywords: Bereavement; Death; Hospice care; Neoplasms; Palliative care; Terminal care.