Determinants of ICU care in the last month of life for Taiwanese cancer decedents, 2001 to 2006

Background: Use of the hospital ICU is rising rapidly for end-of-life care. The purpose of this population-based study was to determine the prevalence of ICU care in the last month of life of patients with cancer and the associations between ICU care and patient demographics, disease characteristics, physician specialty, hospital characteristics, and availability of health-care resources at the hospital and regional levels in Taiwan. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used administrative data for 204,850 cancer decedents from 2001 to 2006. Results: Rates of hospital ICU care in the last month of life did not change significantly from 2001 to 2006 (11.27%-12.71%). ICU use in the last month of life was more likely for single male patients aged,