News-Medical.Net February 22, 2025
Many Medicare patients with advanced cancer receive potentially aggressive treatment at the expense of supportive care, according to a study that analyzed Medicare records.
The study, published in JAMA Health Forum, examined the quality of end-of-life care among 33,744 Medicare decedents. The study involved patients of diverse ethnic backgrounds, age 66 or older who died from breast, prostate, pancreatic or lung cancers.
Overall, claims records showed that 45% of the patients experienced potentially aggressive care (such as multiple acute care visits within days of death), while there was a low receipt of supportive care, such as palliative, hospice and advanced care planning in the last six months of life. While hospice care spiked to more than 70% during the...
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