Demography of Aging Seminar- Sarah Cross - Duke University
Changes in Place of Death in the United States
Date: 01/09/2020 (Thu)
Time: 3:30pm- 5:00pm
Location: Seminar will be held on-site: Gross Hall 270
Organizer: Scott Lynch
Meeting Schedule: (Not currently open for scheduling. Please contact the seminar organizer listed above.)
All meetings will be held in the same location as the seminar unless otherwise noted.
3:30pm - Seminar Presentation (3:30pm to 5:00pm)
Additional Comments: Title: Changes in Place of Death in the United States Authors: Sarah H. Cross, MSW, MPH and Haider J. Warraich, MD Background: Place of death is an important aspect of the patient and caregiver experience and knowing where patients die is essential for delivery of high-quality end-of-life care. Aims: To assess trends and factors associated with location of death among decedents from natural causes in the United States (US). Methods: We analyzed mortality data for all deaths in the US from 2003 to 2017. We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate associations between demographic characteristics and place of death for years 2013-2017. Results: Between 2003 and 2017, there were nearly 35.2 million natural deaths. In 2003, 905,874 deaths occurred in hospitals (39.7%), decreasing to 764,424 (29.8%) in 2017, while nursing facility deaths reduced from 538,817 (23.6%) to 534,714 (20.8%). Home deaths increased from 543,874 (23.8%) in 2003 to 788,757 (30.7%) in 2017, while hospice facility deaths increased from 5395 (0.2%) to 212,652 (8.3%) by 2017. Younger patients, females, and racial/ethnic minorities had reduced odds of home death compared to older patients, males and whites. Cancer patients had the greatest odds of home and hospice facility deaths and the lowest odds of nursing facility death relative to other conditions. Relative to other conditions, dementia patients had the greatest odds of nursing facility death, and respiratory disease patients had the greatest odds of hospital death. Stroke patients had the lowest odds of home death, and cardiovascular disease patients had the lowest odds of hospice facility death, relative to other conditions. Conclusion: Home has surpassed hospital as the most common place of death in the US. It is critical to understand the preferences and experiences of patients of all demographics and conditions. More information about the experience of patients dying at home is needed to develop policies and services ensuring patients receive high-quality end-of-life care and that place of death becomes more equitable.