Study uncovers racial inequalities in hospice utilization, length of stay

Study uncovers racial inequalities in hospice utilization, length of stay
McKnight’s Home Care Daily
December 12, 2023
Blacks and Hispanics are less likely to use hospice services, and those who do often have shorter lengths of stay than white patients, according to a new study published in JAMA Health Forum. ... Minority patients also generally experienced shorter hospice lengths of stay. Hispanic patients in particular were more than twice as likely to stay in hospice care for seven days or less, compared to the average white Medicaid beneficiary. Still, short length of stay was relatively common across the board at about 40%, which suggests “room for improvement in referring all Medicaid recipients to hospice earlier in the course of terminal illness,” the study’s authors wrote. As to possible reasons for these disparities, the researchers noted that language barriers, mistrust of hospice programs or cultural differences might be at play. But also, the inequity might also reflect “potential racial biases that affect who a physician is more likely to refer to hospice,” according to the study. Specific, targeted efforts to encourage hospice services for Medicaid and dual-eligible beneficiaries who show low rates of utilization may help to overcome these disparities.