Impact of In-Hospital Death on Spending for Bereaved Spouses.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine how patients' location of death relates to health care utilization and spending for surviving spouses.

Data sources/study setting

Health and Retirement Study (HRS) 2000-2012 linked to the Dartmouth Atlas and Medicare claims data.

Study design

This was an observational study. We matched bereaved spouses whose spouses died in a hospital to those whose spouses died outside the hospital using propensity scores based on decedent and spouse demographic and clinical characteristics, care preferences, and regional practice patterns.

Data collection/extraction methods

We identified 1,348 HRS decedents with surviving spouses. We linked HRS data from each dyad with Medicare claims and regional characteristics.

Principal findings

In multivariabl

SUBMITTER: Ornstein KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6056590 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature