Factors in hospice patients’ length of stay

Many hospice patients are referred comparatively late in the course of their disease progression, therefore minimizing the time of services to the patient, caregivers, and families. Untimely referrals can create organizational, clinical, and emotional problems for all involved; a better understandin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of hospice & palliative medicine 1999-03, Vol.16 (2), p.449-454
Main Authors: Frantz, Thomas T., Lawrence, Jenifer C., Somov, Pavel G., Somova, Marla J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Analysis of Variance
Child
Diagnosis-Related Groups - classification
Female
Health Services Research
Hospices - statistics & numerical data
Hospices - utilization
Humans
Insurance, Health - statistics & numerical data
Length of Stay - statistics & numerical data
Male
Middle Aged
New York
Nursing
Referral and Consultation - statistics & numerical data
Retrospective Studies
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Summary:Many hospice patients are referred comparatively late in the course of their disease progression, therefore minimizing the time of services to the patient, caregivers, and families. Untimely referrals can create organizational, clinical, and emotional problems for all involved; a better understanding of the factors related to length of stay (LOS) in hospice is necessary. This study investigated the relationship between LOS and selected variables. There were significant differences in LOS by diagnosis, physician type, and referral source. No significant differences were found in LOS by gender or insurance type. Factors related to LOS can assist hospices in identifying those particular patients more likely to have longer stays. Additionally, administrators may tailor their programs to meet the needs of the individual hospice.
ISSN:1049-9091
1938-2715
DOI:10.1177/104990919901600206