Korean Journal of Family Practice 2019;9(1):118-121

doi:10.21215/kjfp.2019.9.1.118

The Timing and Route of Transfer for End-of-Life Care in Cancer Patients

Jiyoung RHEE 1 ; Jung Mi KWON ; Sang Hoon HAN

Affiliations

+expand

Keywords

Cancer; End-of-Life Care; Referral; Hospice

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the timing and route of arrival of patients with cancer referred to a hospital near their residence for end-of-life care.METHODS: The medical records of patients with cancer receiving palliative systemic treatment at other hospitals who were transferred to our hospital for terminal care were reviewed retrospectively.RESULTS: Records of 60 patients (mean age, 57.4 years) were reviewed. The median survival after transfer was 40 days; 56.3% and 43.3% of the patients were referred to the outpatient and emergency departments of our hospital, respectively. Only 45% of the patients were enrolled in the hospice palliative care system. The most common reason for not enrolling was rejection of the patients or their families for hospice palliative care.CONCLUSION: For end-of-life care, the time from the referral to death was short, and many patients were transferred to the emergency department of our hospital.