Factors affecting place of death of hospice and non-hospice cancer patients.

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Abstract
We identified factors associated with death at home ofr 28,828 hospice and non-hospice cancer pateitns in 13 counties of western Washington State [USA] Hospice participation was found to be the variable most strongly associated with death at home. Admission to hospice appears to override the tendency for certain subgroups of patients, such as the extreme elderly and those diagnosed close to death, to diet in an institutional setting. These findings are discussed with respect to the problem of selection bias.