Table 4b:
Matched-pairs analysis of imaging utilization during the last month of life
| Tomographic Imaging |
CT | MR | PET | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palliative Care Referral | % (mean) a | % (mean) b | % (mean) c | % (mean) |
| Not referred to palliative care (n=197) | 14% (2.0) | 9% (2.2) | 6% (1.2) | 2% (1.0) |
| Referred to palliative care (n=197) | 28% (2.6) | 25% (2.1) | 10% (1.7) | 2% (1.2) |
Among the matched pairs, proportions of patients imaged and mean imaging intensity in the final month of life based on palliative care referral. Percentages denote the proportion of patients within a given palliative care classification who received at least one study of a given imaging modality. The values in parentheses denote mean number of imaging studies per patient among those who received at least one study of a given imaging modality.
a
McNemar’s test for paired proportions of patients imaged, p=0.0071
b
McNemar’s test for paired proportions of patients imaged, p=0.0016
c
McNemar’s test for paired proportions of patients imaged, p<0.0001