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Where cancer patients die: an epidemiologic study
Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)
|March 1, 1983
Summary
Cancer patients diagnosed less than one month before death were more likely to die in hospitals. Place of death varied by cancer type and socioeconomic status, with some lower socioeconomic areas showing higher home death rates.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Public Health
- Sociomedical Sciences
Background:
- Understanding factors influencing place of death is crucial for patient care and resource allocation.
- Previous research has explored patient and disease characteristics related to end-of-life care settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between place of death and patient demographics, time from diagnosis to death, cancer site, and socioeconomic status.
- To compare the likelihood of dying at home versus in acute care hospitals or chronic care facilities.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of death records for cancer patients in Monroe County, N.Y. (1976-1978).
- Exclusion criteria included non-residents, patients under 15, and diagnoses made only at autopsy.
- Logit modeling was used to estimate odds ratios for place of death.
Main Results:
- Patients diagnosed less than one month before death had a significantly higher likelihood of dying in a hospital.
- Leukemia, lymphoma, lung, breast, and upper gastrointestinal cancers were associated with higher hospital death rates.
- Colorectal, genitourinary, and miscellaneous cancers were more often associated with home deaths.
- Higher socioeconomic status areas generally showed more home deaths, with an exception in the lowest socioeconomic areas.
Conclusions:
- Time from diagnosis to death, cancer type, and socioeconomic status are significant predictors of place of death among cancer patients.
- Findings highlight disparities in end-of-life care settings that warrant further investigation and targeted interventions.