Table 1 – Patient characteristics at the time of initial hospital discharge (n = 142)
| Parameters | Categories | n | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Men | 54 | 38.0 |
| Age |
< 50 [50–65] > 65 |
27 60 55 |
19.0 42.3 38.7 |
| Karnofsky Index at the time of initial hospital discharge | 10%20%30%40%50%60% | 1186041175 | 0.712.742.328.912.03.5 |
| Primary tumor site (MD = 3) |
Breast Head and neck Digestive Gynecological Lung Urological Sarcoma / other |
41 28 21 16 14 11 8 |
28.9 19.7 14.8 11.3 9.9 7.7 5.6 |
| Current home (MD = 4) |
Patient’s own home Relatives’ home Nursing home/other |
122 14 2 |
88.4 10.1 1.5 |
| Marital status (MD = 8) |
Married Divorced Widow(er) Single Living together |
85 16 14 11 8 |
63.4 11.9 10.4 8.2 6.0 |
| Patient living alone (MD = 1) | Yes | 28 | 19.9 |
| Caregiver at home (MD = 21) | Yes | 103 | 85.1 |
| One or more children at home (MD = 2) | Yes | 25 | 17.9 |
| Initial discharge from |
Medical oncology department Hospital palliative care unit |
88 54 |
62.0 38.0 |
| Length of hospital stay before discharge |
< 8 days [8-21] > 21 |
46 68 28 |
32.4 47.9 19.7 |
| Assessment by the mobile hospital’s palliative care team before discharge (MD = 54) | Yes | 38 | 43.2 |
| Psycho-oncology consultation (MD = 1) | Yes | 38 | 27.0 |
| Written advance directives | Yes | 7 | 4.9 |
| Pre-emptive prescription of sedation | Yes | 24 | 16.9 |