Samantha E. John (Brain Health), along with Jalal Uddin, Drew Blasco, Timothy J. Grigsby, Chad L. Cross, and Jason D. Flatt (all Public Health), recently published a study titled, "Exploring Discharge to Hospice for Dementia-Related Healthcare Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups in Southern Nevada," in the Journal of Palliative Medicine.
This study utilized comprehensive health care data from 2013 to 2021, encompassing more than 131,000 dementia-related encounters in Southern Nevada. The researchers employed bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses to examine differences in hospice discharge rates by race and ethnicity. Results showed that only a small portion of individuals living with dementia were discharged to hospice, with significantly lower odds among Black, Asian Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latino patients compared to White patients. Additional factors such as age, gender, insurance type, and care setting were also associated with hospice discharge, suggesting the need to better understand potential disparities in access to hospice care among racial and ethnic minority communities living with dementia.
