Table 2.
Characteristics of Home Hospice Enrollments Based on Average Nursing Visits Per Week: Home Hospice Cohort (N = 115 103).
| Characteristics | Average Nursing Visits Per Week <3 (N = 84 399; 73%) | Average Nursing Visits Per Week ≥3(N = 30 704; 27%) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | |||
| 18–55 | 1661 (69.6) | 726 (30.4) | |
| 56–65 | 4718 (68.9) | 2129 (31.1) | |
| 66–75 | 15 992 (67.6) | 7652 (32.4) | |
| 76–85 | 28 176 (72.6) | 10 621 (27.4) | |
| 86+ | 33 852 (78) | 9576 (22) | |
| Median (IQR) | 83 (75–89) | 80 (72–87) | <.001 |
| Gender | <.00l | ||
| Women | 51 159 (75.9) | 16 246 (24.1) | |
| Men | 33 240 (69.7) | 14 458 (30.3) | |
| Race/ethnicity | <.001 | ||
| White | 71 167 (72.7) | 26 748 (27.3) | |
| Black | 8845 (78.9) | 2368 (21.1) | |
| Other | 4387 (73.4) | 1588 (26.6) | |
| Region | <.001 | ||
| Midwest | 15 423 (69) | 6915 (3l) | |
| West | 12 050 (70.4) | 5062 (29.6) | |
| East | 21 378 (73.5) | 7712 (26.5) | |
| South | 35 548 (76.3) | 11 015 (23.7) | |
| Hospice diagnosis | <.001 | ||
| Cancer | 24 213 (63.1) | 14 160 (36.9) | |
| Noncancer | 60 186 (78.4) | 16 544 (21.6) | |
| Number of chronic conditionsa | <.001 | ||
| 0–1 | 32 593 (74.1) | 11 383 (25.9) | |
| 2 | 17 040 (74.6) | 5813 (25.4) | |
| 3 | 16 462 (73) | 6079 (27) | |
| 4+ | 18 304 (71.1) | 7426 (28.9) | |
| Median (IQR) | 1 (0–2) | 1 (0–2) | <.001 |
| Median income (by quartiles) | <.001 | ||
| $39 114 and lower | 20 047 (72.4) | 7652 (27.6) | |
| $48 716–$63 709 | 20 454 (72.6) | 7737 (27.4) | |
| $48 716-$63 709 | 20 705 (72.9) | 7696 (27.1) | |
| $63 710+ | 23 193 (75.3) | 7619 (24.7) | |
| Health services utilization | |||
| Number of hospitalizations 3 months prior to date of enrollment | <.001 | ||
| 0 | 57 868 (82.3) | 12 433 (17.7) | |
| 1 or more | 26 531 (59.2) | 18 271 (40.8) | |
| Number of previous hospice enrollments | .005 | ||
| 0 | 78 096 (73.2) | 28 584 (26.8) | |
| 1 | 5624 (74.9) | 1886 (25.1) | |
| 2 or more | 679 (74.4) | 234 (25.6) | |
| Hospice length of stay (days) | 116 (44–213) | 10 (5–21) | <.001 |
| Continuous home care | <.001 | ||
| Yes | 4462 (59.1) | 3092 (40.9) | |
| No | 79 937 (74.3) | 27 612 (25.7) | |
| Inpatient hospice care | <.001 | ||
| Yes | 10 571 (75.3) | 3472 (24.7) | |
| No | 73 828 (73.1) | 27 232 (26.9) | |
| Respite care | <.001 | ||
| Yes | 7767 (86.8) | 1181 (13.2) | |
| No | 76 632 (72.2) | 29 523 (27.8) | |
Abbreviation: IQR, interquartile range.
a
Heart disease, lung disease, renal disease, dementia disorders, stroke/TIA, diabetes, depression, history of hip fracture.