Caregiver perception of quality of dying of cancer patients is associated with patient-reported quality of life during the last month of life.

PURPOSE: Improving the quality of dying (QOD) is key in palliative care (PC). It is unknown whether family caregivers' (FCs) after-death assessment is associated with patient-reported quality of life (QoL) during end-of-life (EOL). This study aims to assess the relationship between caregiver-reported QOD and the overall QoL that patients with advanced cancer reported during EOL in a Latino community.

METHODS

In this longitudinal study, dyads of advanced cancer patients and their FCs were enrolled from a PC Unit in Santiago, Chile. Dyads completed baseline and follow-up questionnaires until patients' death, including the EORTC-QLQ-C15 that assesses patients' QoL. After death, FCs were contacted to complete questionnaires regarding patients' dying experience. Simple and multivariate regression models were performed to evaluate the association of caregiver-reported QOD with patient-reported QoL during the last month of life and the role of possible confounders.

RESULTS

Two hundred seven dyads were enrolled during the study period. Due to attrition, 70 dyads were analyzed. FCs had a mean age of 47 years, and 69% were female. Patients had a mean age of 63 years; 51% were female. In the simple linear regression, caregiver-reported QOD was associated with overall QoL of patients and with caregiver satisfaction with care. In the multivariate model, the association between QOD and QoL remained significant.

CONCLUSION

QOD is independently associated with patients' QoL during the last month of life, when adjusted by caregiver satisfaction and caregiver depression and anxiety. Therefore, QOD could be used as a surrogate for patients' QoL during the last month of life.