title: Policy for home or hospice as the preferred place of death from cancer: Scottish Health and Ethnicity Linkage Study population cohort shows challenges across all ethnic groups in Scotland.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Place of cancer death varies ethnically and internationally. Palliative care reviews highlight limited ability to demonstrate equal access due to incomplete or unreliable ethnicity data.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To establish place of cancer death by ethnicity and describe patient characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We linked census, hospital episode and mortality data for 117 467 persons dying of cancer, 2001-2009. With White Scottish population as reference, prevalence ratios (PR), 95% CIs and p values of death in hospital, home or hospice adjusted for sex and age were calculated by ethnic group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  White Scottish group and minority ethnic groups combined constituted 91% and 0.4% of cancer deaths, respectively. South Asian, Chinese and African Origin patients were youngest at death (66, 66 and 65.9 years). Compared with the Scottish White reference, the White Irish (1.15 (1.10 to 1.22), p<0.0001) and Other White British (1.07 (1.02 to 1.12), p=0.003) groups were more likely to die at home. Generally, affluent Scottish White patients were less likely to die in hospital and more likely to die at home or in a hospice regardless of socioeconomic indicator used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cancer deaths occur most often in hospital (52.3%) for all ethnic groups. Regardless of the socioeconomic indicator used, more affluent Scottish White patients were less likely to die in hospital; existing socioeconomic indicators detected no clear trend for the non-White population. Regardless of ethnic group, significant work is required to achieve more people dying at home or the setting of their choice.
authors.affiliation: Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Katharine H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Sharpe
authors.affiliation: Centre for Population Health Sciences Edinburgh University Medical School, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cezard
authors.affiliation: Centre for Population Health Sciences Edinburgh University Medical School, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Narinder
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.affiliation: Centre for Population Health Sciences Edinburgh University Medical School, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Raj S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Bhopal
authors.affiliation: Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland, Edinburgh, UK Centre for Population Health Sciences Edinburgh University Medical School, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Brewster
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death / Q000208:ethnology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality*; D057240:Patient Preference; D012606:Scotland / Q000208:ethnology; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Cancer; Home care; Hospice care; Hospital care; Terminal care