title: Who are the children using hospice care?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose was to examine the characteristics of children who use hospice care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the Andersen Model of Health Services Use, California Medicaid administrative databases were analyzed to describe the characteristics of 76 children in hospice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics of children were identified. Children who used hospice were a diverse group with community resources that enabled them to access care while presenting with serious health needs. Children enrolled in hospice were more likely older (15-20 years of age), resided nearer a pediatric hospice, and had a serious health condition such as neuromuscular disease with multiple comorbidities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With this knowledge, pediatric nurses can improve their clinical practice by targeting conversations with families and children most in need of hospice care.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lindley
authors.forename: Shih-Lung
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002140:California; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000451:nursing*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: End-of-life; Medicaid; hospice care; palliative care; pediatrics