Older Medicare Beneficiaries Frequently Continue Medications with Limited Benefit Following Hospice Admission.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The use of medications not relieving symptoms or maximizing quality of life should be minimized following hospice enrollment.

Objective

To evaluate the frequency of and predictive factors for continuation of medications with limited benefit after hospice admission among those admitted for cancer- and non-cancer-related causes.

Design

Cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare linked database.

Patients

Medicare Part D-enrolled beneficiaries 66 years and older who were admitted to and died under hospice care between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2013 (N = 70,035).

Main measures

Patients were followed from hospice enrollment through death for Part D dispensing of limited benefit medications (LBMs) they had used

SUBMITTER: Zueger PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6816724 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature