title: Investigations of the pediatric hospice care in Taiwan: 2005 to 2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The utilization of pediatric hospice care remains unclear in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were analyzed from the claims of hospice admissions in patients aged 18 years or younger using the National Health Insurance Research Database from 2005 to 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 91 patients and 136 admissions were enrolled (male-female = 50:41; mean 11.6 years old). In all, 62 patients were admitted once, including 47 patients who died. All the patients had cancer, with brain cancer (40.7%) accounting the most . Among acute comorbidities, neurological complications (16.2%) were mostly accounted. Family physicians provided most (64.7%) of the hospice services. Hospice stay ≤3 days correlated positively with death in hospices (odds ratio = 2.922, 95% confidence interval = 1.268-6.730).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pediatric hospice care revealed characteristics different from adults. Underlying late referrals were prevalent. There is space to promote the utilization of hospices for terminally ill pediatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Family Medicine, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan, Republic of China Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shih-Chao
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China sjhwang@vghtpe.gov.tw.
authors.forename: Shinn-Jang
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Department of Oncology and Hematology and Deputy Administrator's Office, National Yang-Ming University Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei-Shu
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006738:Hospices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan
keywords: Taiwan; family medicine; hospice care; neoplasms; pediatrics; referral and consultation