 Hispanic access to hospice services in a predominantly Hispanic community Hispanics, the largest minority population in the United States, are under-represented
in hospice at the national level. This study documented Hispanic access to hospice
services where Hispanics are a majority population. Access was defined in terms
of services actually used by the people who needed them. The investigators conducted
retrospective chart reviews of 500 Medicare beneficiaries who died in four hospices.
Study variables were decedent characteristics and access to hospice and hospice
disciplines. The researchers showed that Hispanics and whites differed on characteristics
known to influence access to health services, e.g., preferred language and type
of caregiver. Although the proportion of Hispanic elders dying in hospice was
less than the proportion living in the community, the proportions of Hispanic
elders who died in the community or in their homes were not different from the
proportion that died in hospice. When access to hospice disciplines was compared
between Hispanic and White decendents, the results showed one difference: More
whites than Hispanics had access to volunteer services. This study suggests
that Hispanics are not underrepresented in hospice and have equal access to
hospice disciplines. These findings differ from national data and may be associated
with Hispanics' being the majority population in the community that was studied.
The investigators suggest that, to learn how population dominance influences
minority access to services, Hispanic access to hospice could be studied in
environments with varying proportions of Hispanics. Adams CE, Horn K, Bader
J. Adapted from Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2006 Jan-Feb;23(1):9-16. |
| Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care Beth Israel Medical Center, New York City ©2005 Continuum Health Partners, Inc. www.stoppain.org/palliative_care |
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