Predicting patient survival before and after hospice enrollment.
Despite the apparent advantages of hospice care, several barriers exist in terms of patient referral. Physicians' prognoses play a large role in determining when hospice care should begin. Predicting patient survival is a subjective decision dependent on several factors that vary before and after hospice enrollment. Currently, the stay of patients in hospice is very short; this can be attributed to late referral by physicians. Additional research on physician behavior and prognostication could help optimize the use of hospice as a valuable health care resource, thereby improving end of life care for terminally ill patients.
Christakis
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Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, USA.
D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000401:mortality*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors