An estimation of the number of cancer patients who wanted home death based on the bereaved family survey

• Published in: Palliative Care Research 2012, Vol.7(2), pp.403-407
• Main Authors: Morita, Tatsuya, Miyashita, Mitsunori, Inoue, Yoko, Sato, Kazuki, Igarashi, Ayumi, Igarashi, Miyuki, Yamaguchi, Takuhiro, Hashimoto, Shuji
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; jpn
• Subjects: cancer; home death; palliative care
• ISSN: 1880-5302; 1880-5302
• DOI: 10.2512/jspm.7.403

The primary aim of this study was to estimate the number of cancer patients who wanted home death based on the bereaved family survey. A postal survey performed on 1,137 bereaved family members in 4 regions to clarify the degree what they believed that the patient actually died where s/he had wanted on the Good Death Inventory, and to explore the preferred place of death. We calculated estimated number of patients who had wanted home death as a total of (1) the actual number of home death × the percentages of the family members who agreed that the patient actually died where s/he had wanted, and × the actual number of hospital death × the percentages of the family members who disagreed that the patient actually died where s/he had wanted and home was the preferred place of death. Estimated number of cancer patients who wanted home death was 32.8%［95%C.I., 31.7, 33.9］ in the surveyed regions, and 31.2%［95%C.I., 31.1, 31.4］ for national data.