Journal of oncology practice
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Research has shown that patients with terminal illnesses prefer to die at home, yet more than 60% of patients with cancer are hospitalized in the last month of life. Less than half of these patients receive hospice care at the end of life. Inpatient palliative care consultations may serve as a bridge from hospitalization to receiving patient's preferred end-of-life care. GI tumors include some the deadliest cancers, and patients with these cancers may serve to benefit from palliative care services. ⋯ Palliative care consultation was associated with increased hospice utilization, decreased likelihood of dying in a hospital, and increased likelihood of dying at home.