Outpatient palliative care and end-of-life care intensity: linking Massachusetts Cancer Registry with All-Payer Claims Database.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early palliative care is associated with better outcomes for patients with advanced-stage cancers. Using a novel data linkage, we assessed outpatient palliative care use before death and its association with end-of-life care intensity and variation across 8 provider networks in Massachusetts.

Methods

We linked Massachusetts Cancer Registry and the All-Payer Claims Database for individuals with commercial insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare Advantage diagnosed with colorectal, lung, prostate, and breast cancers from 2010 to 2013 who died by December 31, 2014. We characterized outpatient palliative care visits in the 6 months before death and identified end-of-life hospitalizations, emergency department visits, intensive care unit admissions, chemotherapy, no/late hosp

SUBMITTER: Keating NL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11847477 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature