Hospice may be the right choice for patients dying from lung and colorectal cancers, reports Healio.
Overall, a greater proportion of families of patients enrolled in hospice reported pain in their patient or use of pain medication compared with patients not enrolled in hospice (91% vs. 81%). However, families of patients enrolled in hospice were more likely to report that the patients received the right amount of pain medication (80% vs. 73%; difference, 7 percentage points; 95% CI, 1-12) and the right amount of assistance with breathing (78% vs. 70%; difference, 8; 95% CI, 2-13).
Families of patients enrolled in hospice also reported more often that patients’ end-of-life wishes were followed (80% vs. 74%; difference, 6; 95% CI, 2-11) and that the quality of end-of-life care was “excellent” (57% vs. 42%; difference, 15; 95% CI, 11-20). Decedents who received hospice care were also more likely to die in their preferred place (68% vs. 39%; difference, 29; 95% CI, 23-34).
Read more at www.healio.com
