Trust in Physicians, Continuity and Coordination of Care, and Quality of Death in Patients with Advanced Cancer.

BACKGROUND

Provider-centered factors contribute to unexplained variation in the quality of death (QOD). The relationship between healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients, bidirectional communication, and consistency of longitudinal care planning are important provider-centered factors.

OBJECTIVE

To explore whether the level of trust in HCPs, the quality of continuity of care, and the level of coordination of care among home HCPs are associated with the QOD for cancer patients dying at home.

DESIGN

This study was a part of a nationwide multicenter questionnaire survey of bereaved family members of cancer patients evaluating the quality of end-of-life care in Japan.

SETTING/SUBJECTS: We investigated 702 family members of cancer patients who died at home.

MEASUREMENTS

The QOD was evaluated from nine core domains of the short version of the Good Death Inventory (GDI). We measured five factors on a Likert scale, including patient and family trust in HCPs, continuity of care by home hospice and hospital physicians, and coordination of care among home hospice staff.

RESULTS

A total of 538 responses (77%) were obtained and 486 responses were analyzed. Trust in HCPs was correlated with the GDI score (r = 0.300-0.387, p < 0.001). The quality of care coordination was associated with the GDI score (r = 0.242, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Trust of the patient and family in home hospice staff, as well as coordination of care among hospice staff, are associated with the QOD for cancer patients dying at home.