Trends in quality of end-of-life care for Taiwanese cancer patients who died in 2000–2006

Abstract

The quality of end-of-life care for Taiwanese cancer decedents was substantially inferior to that previously reported and to that recommended as benchmarks for not providing overly aggressive care near the end of life.

Cancer-Related Therapies at the End of Life in Hospitalized Cancer Patients from Four Swiss Cantons: SAKK 89/09

“…The importance of such research is evident, as disparities between countries, within countries and among different patient populations do matter on many levels such as quality of care issues [26,27,28,29,30,31], economical aspects [32,33,34] or shifts in the delivery of care over time [35]. …”

The impact of hospice care on survival and cost saving among patients with liver cancer: a national longitudinal population-based study in Taiwan

“…In Taiwan, of all those receiving hospice care, 12.4 % receive it at home while 87.6 % receive it in the hospital. Still the overall use of either hospital-and homebased hospice services in Taiwan by those during their last year of life has only gradually increased for over the last 20 years, and it remains underutilized at 7.34 % in 2000 and 16.83 % in 2006 [1]. This underutilization has also been reported in the USA [2].…”

Cancer pain as the presenting problem in emergency departments: incidence and related factors

“…ED may be the choice for immediate relief of symptoms for the majority of cancer patients. A recent retrospective study on quality of end-of-life care for Taiwanese cancer patients reported that 16-21% of cancer patients in their last month of life visited the ER more than once [15].…”