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. 2004 Aug;39(4 Pt 1):969-83.
doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2004.00267.x.

Hospice use by Hispanic and non-Hispanic white cancer decedents

Nuha A Lackan  1 , Glenn V Ostir, Jean L Freeman, Yong-Fang Kuo, Dong D Zhang, James S Goodwin
Affiliations

Hospice use by Hispanic and non-Hispanic white cancer decedents

Nuha A Lackan et al. Health Serv Res. 2004 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate rates of hospice use between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with cancer using data from a large, population-based study.

Data sources: Secondary data from the linked SEER-Medicare database including the SEER areas of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose-Monterey, California, and the state of New Mexico. All subjects were Hispanic or non-Hispanic whites, aged 67 and older, had a cancer diagnosis of breast, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer from 1991-1996, and died of cancer from 1991-1998.

Study design: This study employed a retrospective cohort design to compare rates of hospice use between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites across patient characteristics and over time.

Principal findings: Rates of hospice use were similar for Hispanics (39.2 percent) and non-Hispanic whites (41.5 percent). In a bivariate logistic regression model, Hispanics were significantly less likely to use hospice than non-Hispanic whites (OR 0.91; 95 percent CI 0.85-0.97). However, after adjusting for age, marital status, sex, educational attainment, income, urban versus rural residence, and type of insurance using multivariate logistic regression analysis, the estimated odds for being a hospice user among Hispanics is similar to the odds of being a hospice user among non-Hispanic whites (OR 1.05; 95 percent CI 0.98-1.13). Stratified analyses revealed significant differences between ethnic groups in the use of hospice by type of insurance and SEER area, indicating interactions between ethnicity and these variables.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate similar rates of hospice use for Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites diagnosed with one of the four leading cancers. Additional studies from other national registries may be necessary to confirm these findings.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hospice Use over Time for Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Subjects Aged 67 and Older Diagnosed with Breast, Colorectal, Lung, or Prostate Cancer from 1991 to 1996 Who Died from Cancer from 1991–1998 (N =34,336)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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