Skip to main content

Table 3 Characteristics of communication processes at the end of life

From: Care provided and care setting transitions in the last three months of life of cancer patients: a nationwide monitoring study in four European countries

 

Belgium (N = 595)

The Netherlands (N = 335)

Italy (N = 830)

Spain (N = 277)

p-valuea

Characteristics

N(%)

N(%)

OR (95% C.I.)

N(%)

ORb(95% C.I.)

N(%)

ORb(95% C.I.)

 

GP-patient conversations about:

Primary diagnosis

474(84.2)

303(95.0)

3.1(1.8-5.4)

505(66.4)

0.3(0.3-0.5)

157(70.7)

0.4(0.3-0.6)

<.001

Incurability of illness

416(74.4)

298(94.6)

5.0(2.9-8.6)

345(46.2)

0.3(0.2-0.4)

95(45.0)

0.3(0.2-0.4)

<.001

Life expectation

363(64.5)

282(89.5)

4.1(2.7-6.2)

277(37.0)

0.3(0.2-0.4)

56(27.1)

0.2(0.1-0.3)

<.001

Possible medical complications

393(70.1)

267(86.4)

2.6(1.8-3.9)

441(58.7)

0.6(0.4-0.7)

137(62.8)

0.7(0.5-0.95)

<.001

Physical complaints

514(90.7)

306(95.9)

2.3(1.2-4.4)

632(83.0)

0.5(0.4-0.7)

208(90.4)

0.9(0.5-1.6)

<.001

Psychological problems

416(74.3)

272(86.9)

2.1(1.4-3.1)

442(59.1)

0.5(0.4-0.7)

146(66.2)

0.7(0.5-0.9)

<.001

Social problems

284(56.5)

202(70.1)

1.8(1.3-2.6)

249(34.5)

0.4(0.3-0.5)

63(34.4)

0.4(0.3-0.6)

<.001

Spiritual problems

169(32.4)

156(54.4)

2.1(1.5-2.9)

104(14.4)

0.3(0.3-0.5)

27(14.7)

0.3(0.2-0.5)

<.001

Options for palliative care

389(70.0)

272(88.0)

2.7(1.8-4.0)

267(36.4)

0.2(0.2-0.3)

138(66.7)

0.8(0.5-1.1)

<.001

Burden of treatments

397(72.6)

244(81.6)

1.6(1.1-2.3)

367(50.0)

0.4(0.3-0.5)

136(68.3)

0.8(0.5-1.1)

<.001

Overall: One or more of these topics was discussed

447(94.1)

259(97.7)

2.2(0.9-5.4)

586(88.7)

0.5(0.3-0.7)

133(95.7)

1.2(0.5-2.9)

<.001

End-of-lifepreferences----Patient everexpressed a preference:

For place of death

293(49.3)

245(73.8)

2.3(1.7-3.1)

267(32.2)

0.4(0.3-0.5)

85(34.0)

0.4(0.3-0.6)

<.001

About a medical treatment

225(40.5)

198(65.1)

2.4(1.7-3.2)

118(18.2)

0.3(0.3-0.4)

29(14.3)

0.2(0.1-0.4)

<.001

  1. Missing data:
  2. Prior to last month: Diagnosis, possible medical complication, psychosocial problems: n < 10%; incurability of illness, life expectancy: n < 11%; physical problems: n < 8%, social problems; n < 17%; spiritual problems, n < 16%; options of palliative care, n < 12%; Burden of treatment: n < 13%; one or more issues discussed: n < 23%.
  3. Preference for place of death: n < 13%; preference about medical treatment: n < 17%.
  4. aχ2test on cross-country differences.
  5. bOdds ratios from multivariate logistic regression models. For these analyses, we compared end-of-life care between patients with cancer in the four countries, with Belgium as the reference category, and adjusted differences in place of death, age, gender and the types of malignancy. Odds ratios in bold are statistically significant at p < 0.05.
Back to article page

BMC Cancer

ISSN: 1471-2407

Contact us