The Impact of Neighborhood-Level Factors on Perceived Quality of Hospice Service Satisfaction: A Geographic Information System Study.

Abstract

Racial/ethnic minorities are underrepresented in hospice care in the United States, despite this being the standard of care for terminally ill individuals. Research indicates that location of services (e.g., rural vs. urban) plays a role in the differences in quality and quantity of services observed. However, the influences of neighborhood structural characteristics on quality of hospice services have not been explored. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between hospice neighborhood characteristics and caregiver-rated satisfaction with services in Florida. Data were derived from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Hospice Survey and American Community Survey; ArcGIS was used to generate heat maps to provide visual representations. Findings showed that higher neighborhood immigrant density predicted lower family satisfaction with timely care, communication, spiritual support, and likelihood to recommend the agency services. The U.S. population is projected to continue to grow in its diversity, and thus understanding neighborhood characteristics associated with racial/ethnic minorities' perception of care quality are important for shaping care improvements.