ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2015
Correlates of a good death and the impact of hospice involvement: findings from the national survey of households affected by cancer.
Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 45 citations in OpenAlex.
- Sex-related differences in end-of-life decision-making in patients with traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC palliative care · 2026Pooled it
- Factors related to good death from the perspectives of informal caregivers of cancer patients: a systematic review.BMC palliative care · 2025Pooled it
- Assessing prioritization of a good death across Brazil, Italy, Japan, and the United States: A psychometric evaluation.Death studies · 2026Article
- The quality of dying and death of patients with cancer from Shanghai in China from the perspective of healthcare providers: A cross-sectional study.International journal of nursing sciences · 2024Article
- Patient Portals to Support Palliative and End-of-Life Care: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Article
- Family perceptions of quality of end of life in LGBTQ+ individuals: a comparative study.Palliative care and social practice · 2021Article
- The Impact of Varying Levels of Advance Care Planning Engagement on Perceptions of the End-of-Life Experience Among Caregivers of Deceased Patients With Cancer.The American journal of hospice & palliative care · 2020Article
- "It's Like a Death Sentence but It Really Isn't" What Patients and Families Want to Know About Hospice Care When Making End-of-Life Decisions.The American journal of hospice & palliative care · 2020Article
- Hospice Utilization in the United States: A Prospective Cohort Study Comparing Cancer and Noncancer Deaths.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2020Article
- Culture and Sanity at the End of Life.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2019Article
- Priorities of a "good death" according to cancer patients, their family caregivers, physicians, and the general population: a nationwide survey.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2018Article
- Communication among cancer patients, caregivers, and hospice nurses: Content, process and change over time.Patient education and counseling · 2018Observational
- Using a Non-Fit Message Helps to De-Intensify Negative Reactions to Tough Advice.Personality & social psychology bulletin · 2016Article
- Elements of healthy death: a thematic analysis.Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of IranArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
purposeKnowing how to improve the dying experience for patients with end-stage cancer is essential for cancer professionals. However, there is little evidence on the relationship between clinically relevant factors and quality of death. Also, while hospice has been linked with improved outcomes, our understanding of factors that contribute to a "good death" when hospice is involved remains limited. This study (1) identified correlates of a good death and (2) provided evidence on the impact of hospice on quality of death.
methodsUsing data from a survey of US households affected by cancer (N = 930, response rate 51 %), we fit regression models with a subsample of 158 respondents who had experienced the death of a family member with cancer. Measures included quality of death (good/bad) and clinically relevant factors including: hospice involvement, symptoms during treatment, whether wishes were followed, provider knowledge/expertise, and compassion.
resultsRespondents were 60 % female, 89 % White, and averaged 57 years old. Decedents were most often a respondent's spouse (46 %). While 73 % of respondents reported a good death, Hispanics were less likely to experience good death (p = 0.007). Clinically relevant factors, including hospice, were associated with good death (p < 0.05)--an exception being whether the physician said the cancer was curable/fatal. With adjustments, perceptions of provider knowledge/expertise was the only clinical factor that remained associated with good death.
conclusionsEnhanced provider training/communication, referrals to hospice and greater attention to symptom management may facilitate improved quality of dying. Additionally, the cultural relevance of the concept of a "good death" warrants further research.
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