African Americans less likely to enter hospice programs

 According to a study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, African Americans are less likely than whites to receive care from a hospice program. With the exception of cancer, the racial gap is startlingly evident among other deadly diseases.  According to the study, among more than 166,000 patients at the largest U.S. hospice provider, African-American patients were one-third less likely than whites to have an illness other than cancer. The study also shows that historically, African Americans don’t enter hospice care.
 
Hospice programs were initially developed for terminally ill cancer patients, but now, other diseases are treated in these programs that are designed to make life more comfortable in the last stages of life. A few reasons contribute to the gap, one being that African Americans prefer more aggressive treatments than those provided at a hospice. Another is the lack of knowledge about these places.
 
Scientifcamerican.com notes that scientists realize that more information is need to pinpoint the reason African Americans have a lower rate of hospice enrollment and treatment. "Targeted efforts to increase hospice use among African Americans with non-cancer diagnoses may be important in reducing racial disparities in overall hospice use and improving the quality of care for dying African Americans," they write.