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Dying of cancer: Factors influencing the place of death of patients
Author(s) -
Malden L. Trevor,
Sutherland Cheryl,
Tattersall Martin H. N.,
Morgan Jean,
Forsyth Susan,
Levi John A.,
Gunz Frederick W.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1984.tb113060.x
Subject(s) - place of death , residence , medicine , palliative care , unit (ring theory) , cancer , cause of death , family medicine , terminal cancer , gerontology , nursing , medical emergency , emergency medicine , demography , disease , psychology , sociology , mathematics education
An analysis of factors influencing the place of death of patients seen by two medical oncology units is reported. There were 1295 recorded deaths of patients from the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, and 688 from The Royal North Shore Hospital of Sydney during 1979‐1981; the places of death were known in 1724 instances (87%). Of these, 73% of patients died in hospital, 9% died in terminal nursing care (TNC) institutions, and the remainder at home. Factors influencing the place of death were the place of residence, age, home circumstances—social support, diagnosis, and interval from first contact with the medical oncology unit. Our data indicate that a complex interrelation of these factors determines the place of death. Improvements in community services may allow more patients with cancer to die at home or in TNC institutions, but a substantial proportion of these will still die in major hospitals. Therefore, there is a need for the improvement of palliative care services in these institutions.