Journal of Public Health Medicine 25:53-58 (2003)
© 2003 Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom
Place of death: analysis of cancer deaths in part of North West England
Anthony C. Gatrell
Juliet C. Harman
Brian J. Francis
Carol Thomas
Sara M. Morris
Malcolm McIllmurray
Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YT.
Centre for Applied Statistics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YT.
Department of Applied Social Science, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YT.
Morecambe Bay Hospitals Acute NHS Trust, Lancaster.
Address correspondence to Anthony C. Gatrell E-mail: a.gatrell@lancaster.ac.uk
Background Relatively little work of a detailed geographical nature has been undertaken on the distribution of place of death. In particular, given evidence that most cancer patients would prefer to die at home there is a need to examine the extent to which this preference is met differentially from place to place.
Methods Using data on cancer deaths for a single Health Authority in North West England we conducted both small area and individual analyses of place of death, using binomial and binary logistic regression models, respectively.
Results Results from the small area analysis show that in more deprived areas cancer patients are more likely to die in hospital or hospice, and less likely to die at home, but that the effect disappears for home and hospice deaths once other factors are controlled for. At the individual level, the probability of death at home decreases among those living in deprived areas, whereas the probability of death in hospital increases as area deprivation increases. Age, gender, type of cancer, and proximity to hospital or hospice all have some effect on the probability of dying in a particular setting.
Conclusion There is significant place-to-place variation in place of death among cancer patients in part of North West England. However, studies of place of death among cancer patients need to consider the full range of settings and, if examining the impact of deprivation or social class, need to adjust for other factors, including proximity to different settings.
Keywords: palliative care, cancer, hospice, deprivation
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  K. Mystakidou, E. Parpa, E. Tsilika, I. Panagiotou, A. Galanos, M. Tsiatas, and P. Theodorakis The Incidence of Place of Death in Greek Patients with Cancer in 1995 and 2005 American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, October 1, 2009; 26(5): 347 - 353. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. A. Murray, K. Wilson, J. Kryworuchko, D. Stacey, and A. O'Connor Nurses' Perceptions of Factors Influencing Patient Decision Support for Place of Care at the End of Life American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, August 1, 2009; 26(4): 254 - 263. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Gruneir, V. Mor, S. Weitzen, R. Truchil, J. Teno, and J. Roy Where People Die: A Multilevel Approach to Understanding Influences on Site of Death in America Med Care Res Rev, August 1, 2007; 64(4): 351 - 378. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. H. Yun, M. K. Lim, K.-S. Choi, and Y. S. Rhee Predictors associated with the place of death in a country with increasing hospital deaths Palliative Medicine, June 1, 2006; 20(4): 455 - 461. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D J Wood, D Clark, and A C Gatrell Equity of access to adult hospice inpatient care within north-west England Palliative Medicine, September 1, 2004; 18(6): 543 - 549. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|