Racial differences in palliative care and hospice among adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Racial differences in palliative care and hospice among adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Respiratory Medicine; by Natalia Smirnova, Sarah H Cross, Amanda Light, Dio Kavalieratos; 9/24
Individuals with COPD often experience frequent hospitalizations and high-intensity care at the end-of-life (EOL). Although people with COPD experience a higher symptom burden and worse functional status than patients with other serious illness such as cancer, people with COPD are less likely to receive specialty palliative care (PC) or hospice and more likely to die in the hospital or the intensive care unit (ICU). Furthermore, evidence of inequities within COPD exist. For example, Black individuals and those with lower socioeconomic status are likelier to experience COPD exacerbations and have worse quality of life than White individuals and those with higher socioeconomic status.