CDS 47644 Why Cancer Patients Die in Acute Hospitals A Retrospective Study by Note Review N. Ireland Cancer Registry Centre for Public Health Janine Blaney Queen’s University Belfast Mulhouse Building and Grosvenor Road Anna Gavin Belfast BT12 6BJ T: +44 (0) 28 9063 2573 F: +44 (0) 28 9024 8017 ISBN 9780853899822 2011 Report 47644 QUB Patients in Acute cvr 6mm spn v5.indd 1 22/02/2011 13:06 Why Cancer Patients Die in Acute Hospitals A Retrospective Study by Note Review Edited by: Janine Blaney and Anna Gavin This report should be cited as: Blaney J and Gavin A. Why cancer patients die in acute hospitals: A retrospective study by note review. N. Ireland Cancer Registry 2011. Available at http://www.qub.ac.uk/nicr N. Ireland page 1 Cancer Registry Contents CONTENTS........................................................................................................................................... 1 FOREWORDS....................................................................................................................................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................................................................................. 4 LAYOUT OF REPORT ....................................................................................................................... 5 SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND................................................................ 7 1.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 7 1.2 BACKGROUND CANCER MORTALITY STATISTICS ....................................................................... 10 1.3 CANCER PATIENTS’ PLACE OF DEATH: ROUTINE DEATH REGISTRATION DATA........................ 12 SECTION 2 - STUDY METHODS.................................................................................................... 21 2.1 STUDY AIM .................................................................................................................................. 21 2.2 DATA COLLECTION...................................................................................................................... 21 2.3 INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA ....................................................................................... 21 2.4 DATA ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................................... 22 SECTION 3 – RESULTS.................................................................................................................... 23 3.1 PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS ........................................................................................................ 23 3.1.1 Study Sample......................................................................................................................... 24 3.1.2 Time Since Diagnosis to Death.............................................................................................25 3.1.3 Co-morbidities ...................................................................................................................... 25 3.2 HOSPITAL ADMISSION ................................................................................................................. 27 3.2.1 Source, Timing and Symptoms on Admission ....................................................................... 27 3.2.2 Length of Stay: Last Hospital Admission.............................................................................. 29 3.2.3 Emergency Admissions ......................................................................................................... 30 3.2.4 G.P Referrals v. Patient/Family Referrals............................................................................ 33 3.2.5 Recording of Preferred Place of Death ................................................................................ 35 3.2.6 Deaths within 48 Hours of Hospital Admission.................................................................... 38 3.2.7 Patients Diagnosed with Cancer within Last Month of Life ................................................. 41 3.2.8 Patients Diagnosed with Cancer on Last Hospital Admission ............................................. 43 3.2.9 Hospital Admissions: Last Year of Life – Total Sample ....................................................... 45 3.3 THE LIVERPOOL CARE PATHWAY FOR THE DYING PATIENT ...................................................... 48 3.3.1 Liverpool Care Pathway ....................................................................................................... 48 3.3.2 Investigations and Interventions ........................................................................................... 50 3.3.3 Length of Stay on Last Hospital Admission .......................................................................... 52 3.4 SPECIALIST PALLIATIVE CARE INVOLVEMENT AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM MEETINGS..... 53 3.4.1 Specialist Palliative Care...................................................................................................... 53 3.4.2 Multidisciplinary Team Meetings: Last Year of Life ............................................................ 56 3.5 DO NOT ATTEMPT RESUSCITATION ORDERS .............................................................................. 58 3.6 DISTANCE FROM USUAL RESIDENCE TO NEAREST HOSPICE....................................................... 59 Why Cancer Patients Die in Acute Hospitals 2011 Report N. Ireland Cancer Registry page 2 SECTION 4 - SUMMARY OF FINDINGS ...................................................................................... 61 4.1 BACKGROUND CANCER MORTALITY AND PLACE OF DEATH STATISTICS................................... 61 4.2 STUDY PATIENTS’ CHARACTERISTICS ......................................................................................... 61 4.3 HOSPITAL ADMISSION.................................................................................................................. 61 4.4 RECORDING OF PREFERRED PLACE OF DEATH ............................................................................ 63 4.5 DEATHS WITHIN 48 HOURS OF HOSPITAL ADMISSION ................................................................ 63 4.6 PATIENTS DIAGNOSED ON LAST HOSPITAL ADMISSION.............................................................. 64 4.7 THE LIVERPOOL CARE PATHWAY FOR THE DYING PATIENT....................................................... 65 4.8 SPECIALIST PALLIATIVE CARE INVOLVEMENT AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM MEETINGS ..... 65 4.9 DO NOT ATTEMPT RESUSCITATION ORDERS............................................................................... 66 4.10 DISTANCES FROM USUAL RESIDENCE TO NEAREST HOSPICE ................................................... 66 SECTION 5 – DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................... 67 5.1 MAIN DISCUSSION POINTS........................................................................................................... 67 5.2 CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................69 5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................... 70 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................... 71 APPENDICES I-III............................................................................................................................. 75 APPENDIX I: PROJECT STEERING GROUP MEMBERS ......................................................................... 76 APPENDIX II: SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES ........................................................................................... 77 APPENDIX III - PATIENTS THAT DIED WITHIN 1 MONTH, 3 MONTHS AND 6 MONTHS OF CANCER DIAGNOSIS: ALL PLACES OF DEATH (1993-2008)............................................................................. 83 ABBREVIATIONS.............................................................................................................................. 84 Why Cancer Patients Die in Acute Hospitals 2011 Report N. Ireland page 3 Cancer Registry Forewords The Ulster Cancer Foundation is pleased to have been able to fund this research into the reasons why cancer patients die in acute hospitals. We know from our work with cancer patients, that most people want to die with dignity at home. Yet the evidence is that the majority of cancer patients die in hospital. This study looks at the reasons why cancer patients die in an acute hospital setting and explores the characteristics of these patients, as well as the factors most likely to influence and contribute to a hospital death. We at the Ulster Cancer Foundation feel strongly that the wishes of patients are paramount and that the further development of community-based end of life services would allow the final wishes of patients to be fulfilled. Findings also indicate that a worryingly high number of patients (26%) were diagnosed with cancer on their last admission to hospital. This stresses the need for improved information on signs and symptoms of cancer, and on the importance of early diagnosis targeted at older people. This report by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry is based on sound data collection and analysis of patients across Northern Ireland and adds significantly to our knowledge base of the