Table 2.
Racial Differences in Quality of End-of-Life Care
| Bereaved Family Member Report | Decedents, %a | Adjusted Odds Ratio (95% CI)b |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Black (n = 281) |
White (n = 825) |
||
| Unmet need for pain management | 17.8 | 22.8 | 0.77 (0.46-1.29) |
| Unmet need for anxiety/depression | 51.9 | 48.0 | 1.15 (0.66-1.97) |
| Unmet need for dyspnea | 15.5 | 21.4 | 0.63 (0.32-1.24) |
| Not always treated with respect | 11.3 | 16.8 | 0.53 (0.30-0.91) |
| Religious/spiritual concerns | 56.1 | 56.8 | 1.05 (0.69-1.61) |
| Decision made without enough input from the decedent or family | 8.2 | 10.1 | 0.71 (0.40-1.28) |
| Decision made that the decedent would not have wanted | 10.4 | 13.7 | 0.78 (0.49-1.24) |
| Family not always kept informed | 20.4 | 22.9 | 0.80 (0.52-1.22) |
| Overall carec | |||
| Excellent | 47.7 | 49.4 | 1.07 (0.76-1.52) |
| Very good | 29.9 | 31.6 | |
| Good | 12.0 | 12.0 | |
| Fair/poor | 10.4 | 7.0 | |
a
Data are presented as survey–weight adjusted percentages.
b
Adjusted for decedent age, respondent relationship to decedent, round of NHATS, pattern of functional decline as indicated by not getting out of bed, and presence of a cancer diagnosis.
c
Using ordinal logistic regression analysis.