Inequity in the provision of and access to palliative care for cancer patients. Results from the Italian survey of the dying of cancer (ISDOC)

Table 5 Multivariate logistic regression analyses of determinants of referral.

	Referred for domiciliary PCTs		Referred for specialist in pain in hospital
	OR	(95% CI) ¹	OR	(95% CI) ¹
The patient
Age at death (years)
18–54	ref.		ref.
55–64	1.04	(0.40 – 2.68)	0.67	(0.27 – 1.63)
65–74	0.98	(0.38 – 2.54)	0.34	(0.14 – 0.83)
75–84	0.98	(0.37 – 2.59)	0.32	(0.13 – 0.74)
85 +	0.43	(0.16 – 1.14)	0.15	(0.06 – 0.41)
	(P = 0.10)		(P < 0.01)
Place of residence
North West	ref.		ref.
North East	1.08	(0.27 – 4.30)	0.39	(0.20 – 0.75)
Center	0.80	(0.16 – 3.90)	0.75	(0.35 – 1.61)
South and islands	0.13	(0.02 – 0.69)	0.54	(0.20 – 1.44)
	(P = 0.09)		(P = 0.04)
Months since diagnosis
1–3	ref.		ref.
4–6	0.60	(0.20 – 1.81)	1.42	(0.68 – 3.00)
7–12	1.06	(0.40 – 2.78)	0.92	(0.40 – 2.10)
13–36	1.44	(0.63 – 3.29)	1.07	(0.52 – 2.19)
> 36	1.75	(0.86 – 3.57)	1.47	(0.76 – 2.83)
	(P = 0.01)		(P = 0.44)
The caregiver
Relationship
Spouse	ref.		ref.
Child	0.72	(0.51 – 1.01)	0.85	(0.45 – 1.61)
Others	0.49	(0.28 – 0.85)	1.20	(0.52 – 2.80)
	(P = 0.03)		(P = 0.47)
Gender
Males	ref.		ref.
Females	1.40	(0.93 – 2.11)	0.88	(0.54 – 1.44)
	(P = 0.06)		(P = 0.64)
Education (years)
≤ 5	ref.		ref.
6–9	1.44	(0.82 – 2.51)	1.31	(0.63 – 2.74)
10+	2.00	(1.20 – 3.35)	2.36	(1.25 – 4.46)
	(P = 0.01)		(P = 0.01)

¹ OR (95% CI) estimated by multivariate logistic regression with all patient's and caregiver's covariates included in the model. Only covariates with a P-value < 0.10 for at least one of the two models are reported.

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