Table 1 Basic characteristics of the advanced cancer patients receiving palliative home care (N = 65)
Variable | n (%a) | p value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
All patients | Use of emergency servicesb | |||
65 (100) | During normal hours of palliative home care 39 (60.0) | During out-of-hours of palliative home care 26 (40.0) | ||
Sex | 0.139 | |||
Male | 35 (54.8) | 24 (61.5) | 11 (42.3) | |
Female | 30 (46.2) | 15 (38.5) | 15 (57.7) | |
Mean age (SD) | 72.6 (12.1) | 72.1 (13.3) | 73.3 (10.4) | 0.888 |
Marital status | 0.547 | |||
Being married | 59 (90.8) | 34 (87.2) | 25 (96.2) | |
Single | 3 (4.6) | 2 (5.1) | 1 (3.8) | |
Divorced | 3 (4.6) | 3 (7.7) | 0 (0) | |
Educational level | 0.179 | |||
Illiterate | 23 (35.4) | 11 (28.2) | 12 (46.2) | |
Elementary school | 14 (21.5) | 11 (28.2) | 3 (11.5) | |
Junior high school or above | 28 (43.1) | 17 (43.6) | 11 (42.3) | |
Mean number of people living together (SD) | 2.1 (1.4) | 2.0 (1.3) | 2.2 (1.5) | 0.690 |
Urbanization level of residence | 0.776 | |||
Urban | 17 (26.2) | 11 (28.2) | 6 (23.1) | |
Suburban or rural | 48 (73.8) | 28 (71.8) | 20 (76.9) | |
Type of cancer | ||||
Liver | 18 (27.7) | 11 (28.2) | 7 (26.9) | 0.910 |
Lung | 12 (18.5) | 9 (23.1) | 3 (11.5) | 0.334 |
Colorectal | 14 (21.5) | 8 (20.5) | 6 (23.1) | 0.805 |
Other | 21 (32.3) | 11 (28.2) | 10 (38.5) | 0.426 |
Caretaker | ||||
In-home nurse only | 16 (24.6) | 12 (30.8) | 4 (15.4) | 0.241 |
Spouse only | 27 (41.5) | 14 (35.9) | 13 (50.0) | 0.309 |
In-home nurse and spouse | 10 (15.4) | 4 (10.3) | 6 (23.1) | 0.181 |
Others | 12 (18.5) | 9 (23.1) | 3 (11.5) | 0.334 |
Mean length of palliative home care service, days (SD) | 43.5 (37.4) | 41.6 (35.4) | 46.3 (40.7) | 0.763 |
[median (minimum–maximum)] | [31 (3–156)] | [27 (3–139)] | [37 (3–156)] | |
No. of home visit by home palliative care team (SD) | 3.7 (3.9) | 3.6 (3.3) | 4.0 (4.7) | 0.989 |
[median (minimum–maximum)] | [3 (1–24)] | [3 (1–15)] | [3 (1–24)] | |
ECOG performance status | 0.128 | |||
3 | 34 (52.3) | 17 (43.6) | 17 (66.4) | |
4 | 31 (47.7) | 22 (56.4) | 9 (34.6) | |
Home death | 0.999 | |||
yes | 13 (20.0) | 8 (20.5) | 5 (19.2) | |
no | 52 (80.0) | 31 (79.5) | 21 (80.8) | |