ALEXANDRIA, Va.--Hospice care may prolong the lives of some terminally ill patients, a recent study has found.
The study, published last month in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, found that hospice patients survived an average of 29 days longer than non-hospice patients.
Researchers looked at terminally ill patients with either congestive heart failure or cancer of the breast, colon, lung, pancreas or prostate. Patients who chose hospice care lived longer in each of the disease categories except breast and prostate cancer. The biggest gain was for CHF patients, where the mean survival period jumped from 321 to 402 days.
Patients may do better in hospice because they are less likely to be over-treated, the study's authors said, noting that monitoring and treatment may also be improved under hospice care.
Additionally, hospice provides in-home care from an interdisciplinary team focused on the emotional needs, spiritual well-being and physical health of the patient. Support and training for family caregivers is provided as well. This may increase the patient's desire to continue living and may make them feel less of a burden to family members, researchers said.
"This study provides important information to suggest that hospice is related to the longer, not shorter length of survival--by days or months--in many patients," said Dr. Stephen Connor, lead author of the study. "This additional time may be valuable to patients and families to give more time for resolution and closure."
The study, "Comparing Hospice and Nonhospice Patient Survival Among Patients Who Die Within a Three-Year Window," was conducted by researchers at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with consulting and actuarial firm Milliman Inc.
To download the study, click here.
