Jacob Whitman, Harsheni Sudakar, Lindsay Sabik, Yael Schenker
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: Recent growth in hospice has raised concerns about variability in access and quality. This study examines U.S. county-level presence of hospice providers.
Methods: Quality was assessed using 2023 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Hospice Survey Star Ratings. County-level sociodemographic characteristics were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2023 five-year sample.
Results: Of 7024 hospice providers, 29.2% had publicly available ratings, of which 55.3% were high quality (>3 stars). Of 3222 counties, at least one hospice provider was located in 41.4%, and a high-quality provider was present in 23.6%. Counties with high-quality providers tend to be urban and have higher income, larger populations, higher education, and lower poverty and uninsurance rates.
Conclusions: Many U.S. counties have no hospice providers. The presence of high-quality care is markedly lower in rural and poor counties. Missing star ratings limit the utility of public quality data for patient and family decision-making.
期刊介绍：
Journal of Palliative Medicine is the premier peer-reviewed journal covering medical, psychosocial, policy, and legal issues in end-of-life care and relief of suffering for patients with intractable pain. The Journal presents essential information for professionals in hospice/palliative medicine, focusing on improving quality of life for patients and their families, and the latest developments in drug and non-drug treatments.
The companion biweekly eNewsletter, Briefings in Palliative Medicine, delivers the latest breaking news and information to keep clinicians and health care providers continuously updated.
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