Black patients are less likely to be in hospice than white patients at the end of life

New research finds that Black individuals are less likely to be in hospice during the last six months of life compared to their white peers. The study analyzed data from more than 1,200 people who died between 2015-2017, and found that in the last six months of life, Black patients were less likely to use hospice for more than three days, but more likely than white patients to visit emergency departments multiple times and to undergo intensive procedures such as being on a mechanical ventilator. Research has previously indicated that patients value quality of life and less intensive treatment at the end of life, and the study's findings should prompt doctors to discuss care choices with their patients, the authors write.