Table 1.
Characteristics of Patients at the Time of Hospice Admission, Before and After Implementation of the Face-to-Face Visit Requirementa
| Before face-to-face requirement N=11,850 | After face-to-face requirement N=11,788 | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (mean) | 78.4 | 78.6 | 0.220 |
| Gender, male (%) | 5257 (44.4%) | 5309 (45.0%) | 0.255 |
| Race, white (%) | 10,389 (89.9%) | 10,455 (92.2%) | 0.134 |
| Initial site of care (%) | |||
| Home | 5943 (50.2%) | 5372 (45.6%) | 0.150 |
| Nursing home | 2547 (21.5%) | 2502 (21.2%) | 0.935 |
| Hospital | 781 (6.6%) | 865 (7.3%) | 0.345 |
| Hospice unit | 2203 (18.6%) | 2682 (22.8%) | 0.046 |
| Otherb | 376 (3.2%) | 367 (3.1%) | 0.769 |
| Diagnosis (%) | |||
| Cancer | 4407 (37.2%) | 4363 (37.0%) | 0.886 |
| Debility | 1718 (14.5%) | 1262 (10.7%) | 0.011 |
| Dementia | 1286 (10.8%) | 1385 (11.8%) | 0.361 |
| Cardiac disease | 1596 (13.5%) | 1573 (13.3%) | 0.906 |
| Pulmonary disease | 787 (6.6%) | 862 (7.3%) | 0.047 |
| Stroke | 564 (4.8%) | 625 (5.3%) | 0.165 |
| Other | 1492 (12.6%) | 1718 (14.6%) | 0.001 |
| PPS score | 34.6 | 34.40 | 0.090 |
| Foley catheter | 2147 (18.1%) | 2604 (22.1%) | 0.067 |
| Oxygen | 4365 (36.8%) | 4149 (35.1%) | 0.009 |
PPS, Palliative Performance Scale.
a
Univariate logistic regression models, with robust standard errors clustered by hospice.
b
Includes prisons, homeless shelters, prison, friend/family member's home.