Patient Preferences versus Family Physicians' Perceptions Regarding the Place of End-of-Life Care and Death: A Nationwide Study in Taiwan

作者：Chih‐Yuan Shih, Wen‐Yu Hu, Shao‐Yi Cheng, Chien-An Yao, Ching‐Yu Chen, Yen-Chun Lin, Tai‐Yuan Chiu · 发表于：Journal of Palliative Medicine · 年份：2015 · 被引用次数：34 · 研究领域：Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues、Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health、Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes

BACKGROUND: Enabling people to die in their preferred place is important for providing high-quality end-of-life care. OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to explore patients' preferences regarding the place of end-of-life care and death and to compare these preferences with the perceptions of their family physicians. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used stratified random sampling, surveying 400 registered patients and 200 of their family physicians nationwide, with a five-part, structured, self-report questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the selected population, 310 patients (response rate 77.5%) and 169 physicians (response rate 84.5%) responded. Regarding the preferred place for end-of-life care, most of the patients would choose to receive care at home (60.6%) if home care services were available. Additionally, home was the most frequently preferred (66.5%) place of death. The family physicians' survey showed that a higher proportion of physicians selected home as the preferred place for end-of-life care and death (71.6% and 87.2%, respectively). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that patients younger than 50 years of age who believed in Chinese folk religion and who resided in a rural area were more likely to prefer to die at home. CONCLUSIONS: The most commonly preferred place for end-of-life care and death is the patient's home. Establishing a community-based palliative care system should be encouraged to allow more individuals to die in their preferred locati...