Scandinavian journal of primary health care
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Dec 1991
Comparative StudyCost analysis and ethical aspects of hospital-based home-care for terminal cancer patients.
A study was undertaken to measure the costs of caring for 20 terminally ill/dying cancer patients at home, within a hospital-based home-care system. A new method was used, by which all staff expenses were registered and the work costs per minute were calculated for each personnel category (e.g. nurses, physicians). The total number of care days amounted to 857. ⋯ All the patients had relatives at home and were intensely dependent on their families. The important part played by the relatives contributed to the relatively low costs. The ethical aspects of caring for dying cancer patients at home are discussed.