title: Examining Variation in Hospice Visits by Professional Staff in the Last 2 Days of Life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the final days of life, symptoms are exacerbated and often families need both education and emotional support from hospice professional staff. The Medicare Hospice Benefit provides a per-diem payment with no requirements on the frequency of patient visits.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine individual characteristics, hospice program, and geographic variation in hospice visits by professional staff during the last 2 days of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective cohort study of 661 557 Medicare hospice beneficiaries included all patients who died in federal fiscal year 2014 (October 1, 2013-September 30, 2014) in hospice services while receiving routine home care in the last 2 days of life. Data analysis was conducted from March 9 to August 25, 2015.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medicare regulations require that hospice care centers report daily the frequency and duration of patient visits by professional staff, as well as the type of hospice staff who conduct these visits. We examined visit variation by hospice professional staff (physician, nursing staff, and social worker) during the last 2 days of life using a multivariable logistic model adjusting for decedent and hospice program characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 661 557 patients in the study, 81 478 (12.3%) received no professional staff visits in the last 2 days of life. State variation ranged from 590 of 15 399 patients (3.8%) in Wisconsin to 97 of 492 patients (19.7%) in Alaska, and hospice program interquartile variation ranged from 3.2% (25th percentile) to 19.5% (75th percentile). Black patients were less likely to have any visits than were white patients (7352 of 48 221 [15.2%] vs 70 365 of 585 377 [12.0%]; adjusted odds ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.24-1.37). Those dying in a nursing home were 1.74 times less likely to have any visits than those dying at home (30 880 of 186 649 [16.5%] vs 40 973 of 386 654 [10.6%]; 95% CI, 1.62-1.88). Those dying on a Sunday were 3.35 times less likely to have a visit compared with persons dying on a Tuesday (19 519 of 95 979 [20.3%] vs 6784 of 92 127 [7.4%]; 95% CI, 3.17-3.55).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospice visits in the last 2 days of life by professional staff vary by race, hospice program, and geographic region of the country. Visits were less likely when the Medicare beneficiary was black, dying on a Sunday, and receiving care in a nursing home.
authors: Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington, Seattle.
authors: Joan M
authors: JM
authors: Teno
authors: Abt Associates, Cambridge Massachusetts.
authors: Mike
authors: M
authors: Plotzke
authors: Abt Associates, Cambridge Massachusetts.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Christian
authors: Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors: Pedro
authors: P
authors: Gozalo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006738:Hospices / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data