Winnie Y Zou1,2, Hashem B El-Serag1,2, Yvonne H Sada1,2, Sarah L Temple1, Shubhada Sansgiry1,3, Fasiha Kanwal1,2, Jessica A Davila4,5. 1. Center of Innovation, Effectiveness and Quality, The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Blvd. (MS152), Houston, TX, 77030, USA. 2. Sections of Health Services Research and Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. 3. South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers, The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. 4. Center of Innovation, Effectiveness and Quality, The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, 2002 Holcombe Blvd. (MS152), Houston, TX, 77030, USA. jdavila@bcm.edu. 5. Sections of Health Services Research and Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. jdavila@bcm.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hospice provides integrative palliative care for advance-staged hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, but hospice utilization in HCC patients in the USA is not clearly understood. AIMS: We examined hospice use and subsequent clinical course in advance-staged HCC patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on a national, Veterans Affairs cohort with stage C or D HCC. We evaluated demographics, clinical factors, treatment, and clinical course in relation to hospice use. RESULTS: We identified 814 patients with advanced HCC, of whom 597 (73.3%) used hospice. Oncologist management consistently predicted hospice use, irrespective of HCC treatment [no treatment: OR 2.25 (1.18-4.3), treatment: OR 1.80 (1.10-2.95)]. Among patients who received HCC treatment, hospice users were less likely to have insurance beyond VA benefits (47.2 vs. 60.0%, p = 0.01). Among patients without HCC treatment, hospice users were older (62.2 [17.2] vs. 60.2 [14.0] years, p = 0.05), white (62.1 vs. 52.9%, p = 0.01), resided in the Southern USA (39.5 vs. 31.8%, p = 0.05), and had a performance score ≥ 3 (41.9 vs. 31.8%, p = 0.01). The median time from hospice entry to death or end of study was 1.05 [2.96] months for stage C and 0.53 [1.18] months for stage D patients. CONCLUSIONS: 26.7% advance-staged HCC patients never entered hospice, representing potential missed opportunities for improving end-of-life care. Age, race, location, performance, insurance, and managing specialty can predict hospice use. Differences in managing specialty and short-term hospice use suggest that interventions to optimize early palliative care are necessary.
BACKGROUND: Hospice provides integrative palliative care for advance-staged hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, but hospice utilization in HCCpatients in the USA is not clearly understood. AIMS: We examined hospice use and subsequent clinical course in advance-staged HCCpatients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on a national, Veterans Affairs cohort with stage C or D HCC. We evaluated demographics, clinical factors, treatment, and clinical course in relation to hospice use. RESULTS: We identified 814 patients with advanced HCC, of whom 597 (73.3%) used hospice. Oncologist management consistently predicted hospice use, irrespective of HCC treatment [no treatment: OR 2.25 (1.18-4.3), treatment: OR 1.80 (1.10-2.95)]. Among patients who received HCC treatment, hospice users were less likely to have insurance beyond VA benefits (47.2 vs. 60.0%, p = 0.01). Among patients without HCC treatment, hospice users were older (62.2 [17.2] vs. 60.2 [14.0] years, p = 0.05), white (62.1 vs. 52.9%, p = 0.01), resided in the Southern USA (39.5 vs. 31.8%, p = 0.05), and had a performance score ≥ 3 (41.9 vs. 31.8%, p = 0.01). The median time from hospice entry to death or end of study was 1.05 [2.96] months for stage C and 0.53 [1.18] months for stage D patients. CONCLUSIONS: 26.7% advance-staged HCCpatients never entered hospice, representing potential missed opportunities for improving end-of-life care. Age, race, location, performance, insurance, and managing specialty can predict hospice use. Differences in managing specialty and short-term hospice use suggest that interventions to optimize early palliative care are necessary.
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