Patterns in place of cancer death in the State of Qatar: a population-based study.
BACKGROUND:International studies show that most people prefer to die at home; however, hospitals remain the most common place of death (PoD). This study aims to investigate the patterns in PoD and the associated factors, which are crucial for end-of-life cancer care enhancement. METHOD:This retrospe...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2014-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4275179?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1819159197958275072 |
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| author | Hassan Mohsen Pascale Haddad Ayman Allam Azza Hassan |
| author_facet | Hassan Mohsen Pascale Haddad Ayman Allam Azza Hassan |
| author_sort | Hassan Mohsen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BACKGROUND:International studies show that most people prefer to die at home; however, hospitals remain the most common place of death (PoD). This study aims to investigate the patterns in PoD and the associated factors, which are crucial for end-of-life cancer care enhancement. METHOD:This retrospective, population-based study analyzed all registered cancer deaths in Qatar between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2012 (n = 1,224). The main outcome measures were patient characteristics: age, gender, nationality, cancer diagnosis, year of death, and PoD. Time trends for age-standardized proportions of death in individual PoDs were evaluated using chi-square analysis. Odds ratio (OR) were determined for variables associated with the most preferred (acute palliative care unit [APCU] and hematology/oncology ward) versus least preferred (ICU and general medicine ward) PoDs in Qatar, stratified by nationality. RESULTS:The hematology/oncology ward was the most common PoD (32.4%; 95% CI 26.7-35.3%) followed by ICU (31.4%; 95% CI 28.7-34.3%), APCU (26.9%; 95% CI 24.3-29.6%), and general medicine ward (9.2%; 95% CI 7.6-11.1%). APCU trended upward (+0.057/year; p<0.001), while the hematology/oncology ward trended downward (-0.055/year; p<0.001). No statistically significant changes occurred in the other PoDs; home deaths remained low (0.4%; 95% Cl 0.38-0.42). Qataris who died from liver cancer (OR 0.23) and aged 65 or older (OR 0.64) were less likely to die in the APCU or hematology/oncology ward (p<0.05). Non-Qataris who died from pancreatic cancer (OR 3.12) and female (OR 2.05) were more likely to die in the APCU or hematology/oncology ward (p<0.05). Both Qataris and non-Qataris who died from hematologic malignancy (OR 0.18 and 0.41, respectively) were more likely to die in the ICU or general medicine ward (p<0.05). CONCLUSION:A high percentage of cancer deaths in Qatar occur in hospital. As home was the preferred PoD for most people, effective home care and hospice programs are needed to improve end-of-life cancer care. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T16:36:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-60d0f1a3d48e4b4babd79c1543d16dca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T16:36:44Z |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-60d0f1a3d48e4b4babd79c1543d16dca2022-12-21T18:19:57ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-01912e10961510.1371/journal.pone.0109615Patterns in place of cancer death in the State of Qatar: a population-based study.Hassan MohsenPascale HaddadAyman AllamAzza HassanBACKGROUND:International studies show that most people prefer to die at home; however, hospitals remain the most common place of death (PoD). This study aims to investigate the patterns in PoD and the associated factors, which are crucial for end-of-life cancer care enhancement. METHOD:This retrospective, population-based study analyzed all registered cancer deaths in Qatar between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2012 (n = 1,224). The main outcome measures were patient characteristics: age, gender, nationality, cancer diagnosis, year of death, and PoD. Time trends for age-standardized proportions of death in individual PoDs were evaluated using chi-square analysis. Odds ratio (OR) were determined for variables associated with the most preferred (acute palliative care unit [APCU] and hematology/oncology ward) versus least preferred (ICU and general medicine ward) PoDs in Qatar, stratified by nationality. RESULTS:The hematology/oncology ward was the most common PoD (32.4%; 95% CI 26.7-35.3%) followed by ICU (31.4%; 95% CI 28.7-34.3%), APCU (26.9%; 95% CI 24.3-29.6%), and general medicine ward (9.2%; 95% CI 7.6-11.1%). APCU trended upward (+0.057/year; p<0.001), while the hematology/oncology ward trended downward (-0.055/year; p<0.001). No statistically significant changes occurred in the other PoDs; home deaths remained low (0.4%; 95% Cl 0.38-0.42). Qataris who died from liver cancer (OR 0.23) and aged 65 or older (OR 0.64) were less likely to die in the APCU or hematology/oncology ward (p<0.05). Non-Qataris who died from pancreatic cancer (OR 3.12) and female (OR 2.05) were more likely to die in the APCU or hematology/oncology ward (p<0.05). Both Qataris and non-Qataris who died from hematologic malignancy (OR 0.18 and 0.41, respectively) were more likely to die in the ICU or general medicine ward (p<0.05). CONCLUSION:A high percentage of cancer deaths in Qatar occur in hospital. As home was the preferred PoD for most people, effective home care and hospice programs are needed to improve end-of-life cancer care.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4275179?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Hassan Mohsen Pascale Haddad Ayman Allam Azza Hassan Patterns in place of cancer death in the State of Qatar: a population-based study. PLoS ONE |
| title | Patterns in place of cancer death in the State of Qatar: a population-based study. |
| title_full | Patterns in place of cancer death in the State of Qatar: a population-based study. |
| title_fullStr | Patterns in place of cancer death in the State of Qatar: a population-based study. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Patterns in place of cancer death in the State of Qatar: a population-based study. |
| title_short | Patterns in place of cancer death in the State of Qatar: a population-based study. |
| title_sort | patterns in place of cancer death in the state of qatar a population based study |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4275179?pdf=render |
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