Dying from cancer in community hospitals or a hospice: closest lay carers' perceptions.

BACKGROUND

Despite there being around 400 community hospitals in the United Kingdom, there is little published research on the quality of service provided by these hospitals.

AIM

To compare the quality of terminal cancer care in community hospitals with a hospice as assessed by patients' closest lay carer (relative or friend).

METHOD

Structured interview (or questionnaire based on the interview proforma) with closest lay carers of all patients dying over one year in 12 community hospitals in east Devon and a purpose-built hospice in the city of Exeter.

RESULTS

A total of 292 cases (176 in community hospitals and 116 in a hospice) were identified, resulting in 238 carers being eligible for interview or questionnaire survey. Overall, 106 successful interviews and 55 questionnaires were completed, giving a response rate of 67.6%. Carers gave a near unanimous vote of excellence for the total care given by the hospice, while around 40% of carers of patients in community hospitals considered that improvements were possible. Community hospitals attracted more negative comments than hospices, with criticism being directed at problems of communication, lack of nursing staff, and lack of support in bereavement. Carers of hospice patients were significantly more likely to be present at the time of death than those of community hospital patients [45/70 (64%) vs. 31/89 (35%); chi 2 = 13.6, P < 0.001], an observation possibly because nursing staff in community hospitals are less experienced at dealing with terminally ill patients and such hospitals have fewer adequate facilities.

CONCLUSIONS

Lay carers indicated great satisfaction with care given in the hospice and less satisfaction with care given in the community hospitals. However, the community hospitals are non-specialist units with far lower levels of trained staff. Improvements in terms of the communication skills of doctors and nurses, specific training for nurses in palliative care, and structured bereavement care could be made without necessarily increasing staffing numbers.