Levels and Determinants of Place-Of-Death Congruence in Palliative Patients: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Congruence, understood as the agreement between the patient's preferred place of death and their actual place of death, is emerging as one of the main variables indicating the quality of end-of-life care. The aim of this research was to conduct a systematic literature review on levels and determinants of congruence in palliative patients over the period 2010–2021.Method: A systematic review of the literature in the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cuiden, the Cochrane Library, CSIC Indexes, and IBECS. Information was extracted on research characteristics, congruence, and associated factors.Results: A total of 30 studies were identified, mainly of retrospective observational design. The congruence values varied substantially between the various studies, ranging from 21 to 100%. The main predictors of congruence include illness-related factors (functional status, treatments and diagnosis), individual factors (age, gender, marital status, and end of life preferences), and environmental factors (place of residence, availability of health, and palliative care services).Conclusion: This review, in comparison with previous studies, shows that treatment-related factors such as physical pain control, marital status, having a non-working relative, age, discussing preferred place of death with a healthcare professional, and caregiver's preference have been associated with higher levels of congruence. Depending on the study, other factors have been associated with either higher or lower congruence, such as the patient's diagnosis, gender, or place of residence. This information is useful for designing interventions aimed towards greater congruence at the end of life.

EXPERIENCE OF INSPECTION OF DAMAGES OF METAL BEARING STRUCTURES

The article deals with the damaged metal structural elements of the out-center compressed I-pillar, corner of a single corner and others. The work of the metal element in the elastic region was experimentally studied and compared with the results of FEM calculation using ANSYS software. Good convergence of results (less than 5%) is received at calculation of stresses in a place of death of the damaged basic brace of a truss of an industrial building. The reliability of the truss element with a defect (0.892) and without it (1.0) and the category of technical condition before and after damage are determined. Despite the fact that the voltage at the site of the defect does not exceed the maximum permissible, the category of technical condition changes from serviceable to serviceable category, and the design itself must be repaired with the elimination of damage on the support strip.

Feasibility of using death certificates for studying place of death in Latin America

Objective. This paper assesses the availability and quality of death certificate data in Latin America and the feasibility of using these data to study place of death and associated factors. Methods. In this comparative study, we collected examples of current official death certificates and digital data files containing information about all deaths that occurred during 1 year in 19 Latin American countries. Data were collected from June 2019 to May 2020. The records for place of death and associated variables were studied. The criteria for data quality were completeness, number of ill-defined causes of death and timeliness. Results. All 19 countries provided copies of current official death certificates and 18 of these registered the place of death. Distinguishing among hospital or other health care institution, home and other was possible for all countries. Digital data files with death certificate data were available from 12 countries and 1 region. Three countries had data considered to be of high quality and seven had data considered to be of medium quality. Categories for place of death and most of the predetermined factors possibly associated with place of death were included in the data files. Conclusions. The quality of data sets was rated medium to high in 10 countries. Hence, death certificate data make it feasible to conduct an international comparative study on place of death and the associated factors in Latin America.

General and COVID-19-Related Mortality by Pre-Existing Chronic Conditions and Care Setting during 2020 in Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy

In 2020, the number of deaths increased in Italy, mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic; mortality was among the highest in Europe, with a clear heterogeneity among regions and socio-demographic strata. The present work aims to describe trends in mortality and to quantify excess mortality variability over time and in relation to demographics, pre-existent chronic conditions and care setting of the Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy). This is a registry-based cross-sectional study comparing the 2020 observed mortality with figures of the previous five years by age, sex, month, place of death, and chronicity. It includes 300,094 deaths in those 18 years of age and above resident in the Emilia-Romagna region. Excess deaths were higher during the first pandemic wave, particularly among men and in March. Age-adjusted risk was similar among both men and women (Mortality Rate Ratio 1.15; IC95% 1.14–1.16). It was higher among females aged 75+ years and varied between sub-periods. Excluding COVID-19 related deaths, differences in the risk of dying estimates tended to disappear. Metabolic and neuropsychiatric diseases were more prevalent among those that deceased in 2020 compared to the deaths that occurred in 2015–2019 and therefore can be confirmed as elements of increased frailty, such as being in long-term care facilities or private homes as the place of death. Understanding the impact of the pandemic on mortality considering frailties is relevant in a changing scenario.

The Relationship Between Place of Death and Immigrant Status

Increasing attention is being paid to improving care at the end-of-life, including developing a better understanding of where individuals die, and factors related to place of death. The older immigrant population in the United States is increasing rapidly, and while prior research suggests they may differ in their end-of-life experiences, we know relatively little about foreign-born differences in where people die. This study investigates how the place of death (home, hospital, and nursing home) differs between the U.S.-born and foreign-born. We used data on 9,180 U.S.-born and 969 foreign-born respondents from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS) for who end-of-life surveys were conducted with a proxy between 2002 and 2016. Approximately one-third of deaths occurred in nursing homes in both groups. Hospital deaths were more common in US-Born decedents (31.9%) than foreign-born decedents (25.2%), while death at home was lower for US-born (35.5%) than foreign-born (40.2%). We used multinominal logistic regression analysis to determine whether sociodemographic characteristics, cause of death, or receipt of family caregiving explained the observed differences in place of death by foreign-born status. Results from fully adjusted multivariate models indicate the foreign-born differences in place of death cannot be explained by socioeconomic, health, or family factors. Our research shows key differences in the end-of-life experience between US-born and foreign-born older adults and highlights the importance of examining end-of-life experiences for this small, but rapidly growing segment of the older U.S. population.

Place of Death Among Assisted Living Residents as a Factor of Hospice Regulations

Our objective was to examine the likelihood of dying in RC/AL among a national cohort of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries who died in 2018 (N=31,414) as a factor regulations allowing hospice care. We estimated multivariable logistic regression models to examine the association between RC/AL as place of death and supportive hospice regulations, controlling for demographic characteristics, dual Medicare/Medicaid eligibility, years in AL, and hospital referral region (HRR) to control for hospice practice patterns. A majority of beneficiaries in our cohort died in RC/AL; more than half while receiving hospice services. In unadjusted models, the odds of remaining in RC/AL communities until death were significantly higher in the presence of regulations supportive of hospice care. This relationship was no longer significant once adjusting for covariates and an HRR fixed effect, suggesting important variation in end-of-life experiences for AL residents not explained by hospice regulations.

The Mediation Effects of Perceived Healthcare Discrimination on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in End of Life Care

Numerous studies demonstrate racial and ethnic differences in end-of-life (EOL) care, including place of death and hospice use. Experiencing discrimination in healthcare is often cited in the literature as a potent source explaining the pathways of the racial and ethnic disparities in EOL care. However, none of the studies have tested its mediating effects on racial and ethnic disparities in EOL care. The study examines if the effects of race and ethnicity on place of death and hospice use are mediated by perceived healthcare discrimination. This is a secondary analysis of 2008-2014 data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study, including oversampling of Blacks and Hispanics. Samples included 1,446 decedents aged 65 or older who completed an exit interview by proxy. Perceived healthcare discrimination was measured by a self-report of receiving poorer service or treatment than other people from doctors or hospitals. In multivariate analyses, Blacks were more likely to die at hospitals (OR=1.57, p < .05) than Whites. Those who experienced discriminatory healthcare were more likely to die at hospitals than those who never experienced discriminatory healthcare (OR=1.44, p < .05). However, the Karlson-Home-Breen (KHB) method showed no significant mediating effects of perceived healthcare discrimination on racial and ethnic disparities in place of death. Race and ethnicity did not affect hospice use. Although there is no mediating effect of healthcare discrimination on racial and ethnic disparities in EOL care, its direct impact is observed. The research contributes to evidence on the significant role of discrimination in healthcare choices.

Heart failure in coronary artery disease: review of medical certificates of cause of death

The role of heart failure (HF) in mortality rates is ambiguous, and much depends on assessment criteria and accounting potential.Aim. Using medical certificates of cause of death (MCCD), to assess rates of HF, taking into account different types of coronary artery disease (CAD), sex, age and place of death.Material and methods. Data on deceased persons for 2020 were obtained from the electronic database of the Main Department of Civil Registry Office of Moscow Oblast, using the 4-digit codes of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). All deaths with CAD codes (I20-25) were selected. A total of 23193 deaths were included in the analysis. The codes and verbal descriptions of complications were assessed and 3 groups were formed: without indication of heart failure (HF), with indication of HF (without chronic HF) and CHF in MCCD. Comparison of the average age of deceased, the proportion of women and men, the detection rates of certain CAD types and the place of death was carried out. Using logistic regression, the probability of chronic HF/HF as a death cause was determined, taking into account other factors.Results. Any HF was indicated in 78,9% of the MCCD (acute CAD — 44,5%, chronic CAD — in 89,1%). Chronic HF was indicated in 27% of the MCCD (men, 30,9%; women, 22,9%; p<0,0001). The highest values were obtained in heart aneurysm — 47%; in other chronic CAD forms — slightly more than a third of the MCCD. HF was not indicated in men in 23,3% of deaths, in women — in 19%; maximum — 90% in “other acute CADs”; minimum — 11% in heart aneurysm. Average age of deceased was 73,6±12,5 years (men, 68,8±10,5; women, 78,4±12,5) (p<0,0001). In all CAD forms, the average age of deceased was significantly higher in subgroups with chronic HF than in groups with (not chronic HF) or without HF. Age, sex, CAD type, place of death (in-hospital deaths were ~2 times less common).Conclusion. According to the MCCD data, chronic HF is not the dominant complication leading to death. The results obtained require clarification in studies based on primary medical documentation.