Patient and disease characteristics |
|
Age at death, years |
1–64 | 99 | 53.5 | 0.18 | ns |
65–79 | 274 | 42.7 | | |
≥80 | 420 | 45.7 | | |
|
Sex |
Male | 403 | 43.9 | 0.36 | ns |
Female | 393 | 47.3 | | |
|
Level of education |
Elementary or lower | 313 | 44.1 | 0.48 | ns |
Lower secondary | 221 | 46.2 | | |
Higher secondary | 124 | 50.0 | | |
Higher education/university | 62 | 53.2 | | |
|
Cause of death |
Cancer | 362 | 53.6 | <0.001 | ns |
Non-cancer | 426 | 39.0 | | |
|
Residence characteristics |
|
Place of death |
Home | 186 | 81.2 | <0.001 | –d |
Care home | 219 | 50.7 | | |
Hospital | 308 | 18.5 | | |
Palliative care unit | 83 | 53.0 | | |
|
Hospitalised in last 3 months of life |
Not | 314 | 69.1 | <0.001 | 3.91 (2.78 to 5.56) |
At least once | 474 | 30.2 | | ref |
|
Region of Belgium |
Dutch-speaking | 499 | 44.5 | 0.71 | ns |
French-speaking | 225 | 47.6 | | |
Brussels capital | 72 | 47.2 | | |
|
Degree of urbanisation |
Core of large city | 433 | 48.7 | 0.14 | ns |
Average | 214 | 40.7 | | |
Low or rural | 148 | 43.9 | | |
|
Living with regular partner at time of death |
Yes | 370 | 47.8 | 0.28 | ns |
No | 420 | 43.8 | | |
|
Healthcare variables |
|
Number of GP contacts over last 3 months of lifee |
0–7 | 402 | 27.9 | <0.001 | ref |
>7 | 394 | 63.7 | | 3.04 (2.16 to 4.28) |
|
Informal care over last 3 months of life |
None or very little | 78 | 25.6 | <0.001 | ref |
Sometimes/often | 676 | 49.4 | | 3.30 (1.78 to 6.12) |
|
Treatment goal over last 3 months of life |
Curative/life-prolonging | 121 | 24.8 | <0.001 | ns |
Palliative | 230 | 61.3 | | |
From curative/life-prolonging to palliative in last month | 361 | 46.3 | | |
Other combinations | 37 | 27.0 | | |
|
Specialist palliative care initiative delivered over last 3 months of life |
Yes | 317 | 62.1 | <0.001 | 2.50 (1.78 to 3.52) |
No | 439 | 35.8 | | ref |
|
Physical care over last 3 months of life |
Not or to a (very) small extent | 9 | 33.3 | 0.51 | ns |
Average/to a (very) large extent | 702 | 47.3 | | |
|
Psychosocial care over last 3 months of life |
Not or to a (very) small extent | 122 | 33.6 | <0.001 | ns |
Average/to a (very) large extent | 533 | 52.7 | | |
|
Spiritual care over last 3 months of life |
Not or to a (very) small extent | 276 | 45.3 | <0.001 | –f |
Average/to a (very) large extent | 229 | 62.9 | | |