Determinants of Place of Death for Terminal Cancer Patients
- 1 January 2001
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in Cancer Investigation
- Vol. 19 (2), 165-180
- https://doi.org/10.1081/cnv-100000151
Abstract
Approximately two-third of cancer patients, when asked about the preferred place of death, wish to die in their own homes. However, the majority of deaths from cancers in most western countries occur in a hospital. When a person dies from other than sudden or traumatic causes, the death appears to be a function of a complex interplay of personal and cultural values and physical and medical factors, as well as various health care systems forces. This article reviews the determinants of place of death for terminal cancer patients from published studies in hopes of shedding light on the difficulties of dying patients to realize their preferences for place of death. These insights may contribute to modification of hospice care systems so health professionals will be more responsive to the needs of their dying patients to retain control and die with dignity and help health professionals achieve the proposed outcome of hospice care.Keywords
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