Hospice Referrals and Code Status: Outcomes of Inpatient Palliative Care Consultations Among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders With Cancer

ContextIntensive palliative care consultations for plan of care may reduce racial differences in end-of-life care.ObjectivesTo compare cancer patients' hospice referrals and code status changes after inpatient palliative care consultations by patient ethnicity and consultation intensity.MethodsThis observational cohort study prospectively recorded data for all adult cancer patients receiving palliative care consultations at the largest teaching hospital in Hawaii from 2005 through 2009. Chi-squared analyses compared hospice referral and code status changes with “Do Not Attempt Resuscitation” by patient characteristics and consultation intensity (more intensive plan of care vs. pain and/or symptom management without plan of care). Multiple logistic regression models analyzed factors associated with hospice referral and code status change.ResultsThe 1362 consultations generated 454 (33.3%) hospice referrals and 234 (17.2%) code status changes. Controlling for age, gender, Karnofsky score, and preconsultation hospital days, Asian, Pacific Islander, and “other” ethnicities demonstrated increased likelihood of hospice referral vs. whites (adjusted odds ratios [AORs] 1.46–2.34, P < 0.05). Intensive plan-of-care consultations were strongly associated with hospice referral (AOR 3.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.33–4.07, P < 0.0001). Controlling for consultation intensity reduced the association between ethnicity and hospice referral (AORs 1.35–2.06, P = 0.03, “other” ethnicity; P = nonsignificant, Asian and Pacific Islander). Intensive consultations were strongly associated with code status change (AOR 2.96; 95% CI 2.08–4.22, P < 0.0001). Ethnicity was not significantly associated with code status change.ConclusionConsultation intensity was the strongest predictor of hospice referrals and code status changes and reduced the ethnic variations associated with hospice referral.