title: Quality of dying and death with cancer in Israel.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The quality of dying and death refers to the evaluation of the final days of life and the moment of death with respect to how it is prepared for, faced and experienced by those with a terminal illness. It includes experience in multiple domains: physical, psychological, social, spiritual or existential, the nature of health care, life closure and death preparation, and the circumstances of death.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the quality of dying and death in cancer patients in Israel and its relationship to place of death and socio-demographic characteristics of the primary caregivers and the deceased.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective assessment of the quality of dying and death, based on caregiver responses to the Quality of Dying and Death (QODD) questionnaire (overall score ranges from 0 to 100; higher scores reflect better dying and death experiences) 8 to 10 months after the death.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-five caregivers of Jewish cancer patients, most of whom were female spouses or children of the deceased.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean QODD score was 57.2 (standard deviation [SD]=15), which is in the low-moderate range. Place of death, gender and age of the caregiver, and age of the deceased, were associated with QODD score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This retrospective study in Israel demonstrated that the overall quality of dying and death was regarded as poor by almost half of the caregivers. These findings may reflect the relative lack of specialized palliative care and advance care planning in Israel at the time of this study, which took place between 2006 and 2009. Further research and enhancement of palliative care resources may be needed in Israel and several encouraging recent developments (e.g. staff training and legislation) suggest that such changes are now underway.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC), Nes Harim 610, Herzlia, 99885, Israel, bmichalpsy@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.forename: Ilanit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hasson-Ohayon
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hales
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rydall
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peretz
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D003643:Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology