Concordance Rate Between Preferred and Actual Place of Death Among Patients Discharged Home from a Hospice or Palliative Care Unit Who Subsequently Died at Home or in a Palliative Care Unit
- VernacularTitle:ホスピス・緩和ケア病棟から自宅退院を経験し，その後自宅または緩和ケア病棟で死亡した患者における，看取り方針と実際の看取り場所の一致率
- Author:
Momoka SATO
1
;
Takefumi NISHIMOTO
2
;
Kento MASUKAWA
1
;
Tatsuya MORITA
3
;
Yoshiyuki KIZAWA
4
;
Satoru TSUNETO
5
;
Yasuo SHIMA
6
;
Mitsunori MIYASHITA
1
Author Information
- Keywords: terminal care; palliative care; home care; place of death
- From:Palliative Care Research 2026;21(1):31-39
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
- Abstract: Purpose: The proportion of terminally ill cancer patients who were discharged home from a hospice/palliative care unit and subsequently died either at home or in the palliative care unit, whose final place of death was consistent with their intended place of care, remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify the consistency between the preferred and actual place of death. Methods: This study was a supplementary study to a multi-institutional bereavement survey conducted in 2018. Results: Responses were obtained from the bereaved families of 202 patients who died at home and 157 patients who died in a palliative care unit. Among them, 80% of home deaths and 82% of palliative care unit deaths were consistent with the stated end-of-life care preference. Among the 22 cases who preferred to die in a palliative care unit but died at home, the most common reason was the availability of physicians and nurses who could provide end-of-life care at home. Among the 11 cases who preferred to die at home but the patients died in a palliative care unit, the most common reason was insufficient pain management at home. Conclusion: Approximately 80% of patients died by their end-of-life care preference, suggesting that many were able to die in their preferred location.
