Dataset Information

United states acculturation and cancer patients' end-of-life care.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Culture shapes how people understand illness and death, but few studies examine whether acculturation influences patients' end-of-life treatment preferences and medical care.

Methods and findings

In this multi-site, prospective, longitudinal cohort study of terminally-ill cancer patients and their caregivers (n?=?171 dyads), trained interviewers administered the United States Acculturation Scale (USAS). The USAS is a 19-item scale developed to assess the degree of "Americanization" in first generation or non-US born caregivers of terminally-ill cancer patients. We evaluated the internal consistency, concurrent, criterion, and content validity of the USAS. We also examined whether caregivers' USAS scores predicted patients' communication, treatment preferences, and end-of-life medical care in multivariable models that corrected for significant confounding influences (e.g. education, country of origin, English proficiency). The USAS measure was internally consistent (Cronbach ??=?0.98); and significantly associated with US birthplace (r?=?0.66, P<0.0001). USAS scores were predictive of patients' preferences for prognostic information (AOR?=?1.31, 95% CI:1.00-1.72), but not comfort asking physicians' questions about care (AOR 1.23, 95% CI:0.87-1.73). They predicted patients' preferences for feeding tubes (AOR?=?0.68, 95% CI:0.49-0.99) and wish to avoid dying in an intensive care unit (AOR?=?1.36, 95% CI:1.05-1.76). Scores indicating greater acculturation were also associated with increased odds of patient participation in clinical trials (AOR?=?2.20, 95% CI:1.28-3.78), compared with lower USAS scores, and greater odds of patients receiving chemotherapy (AOR?=?1.59, 95% CI:1.20-2.12).

Conclusion

The USAS is a reliable and valid measure of "Americanization" associated with advanced cancer patients' end-of-life preferences and care. USAS scores indicating greater caregiver acculturation were associated with increased odds of patient participation in cancer treatment (chemotherapy, clinical trials) compared with lower scores. Future studies should examine the effects of acculturation on end-of-life care to identify patient and provider factors that explain these effects and targets for future interventions to improve care (e.g., by designing more culturally-competent health education materials).

SUBMITTER: Wright AA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3594172 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

United states acculturation and cancer patients' end-of-life care.

Wright Alexi A AA Stieglitz Heather H Kupersztoch Yankel M YM Paulk M Elizabeth ME Kim Yookyung Y Katz Ingrid T IT Munoz Francisco F Jimenez Rachel B RB Mutchler Jan J Rivera Lorna L Back Anthony L AL Prigerson Holly G HG

PloS one 20130311 3

<h4>Background</h4>Culture shapes how people understand illness and death, but few studies examine whether acculturation influences patients' end-of-life treatment preferences and medical care.<h4>Methods and findings</h4>In this multi-site, prospective, longitudinal cohort study of terminally-ill cancer patients and their caregivers (n = 171 dyads), trained interviewers administered the United States Acculturation Scale (USAS). The USAS is a 19-item scale developed to assess the degree of "Amer ...[more]

PMID: 23536809

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Project description:Background and objectivesAdvance care planning (ACP) is a critical component of health care affecting the quality of later life. Responding to the increase in the older immigrant population in the United States, this empirical study explored the racial/ethnic gaps in ACP behaviors among older immigrants and examined the end-of-life (EOL) care planning and preferences of foreign-born immigrant older adults focusing on race/ethnicity, acculturation, health need factors, and enabling social factors (financial capability, public assistance, and informal supports) after controlling predisposing factors (sociodemographic characteristics).Research design and methodsUsing a subsample from the National Health and Aging Trends Study 2011 and 2012, hierarchical logistic regression models of the EOL plan and preferences were examined with 50 multiple imputation data sets (n = 232).ResultsDescriptive statistics reveal lower ACP engagement of immigrants from racial/ethnic minority groups. In logistic models, however, only Black immigrants were less likely than Whites to have EOL conversations. Among acculturation factors, age at immigration was only negatively associated with having a durable power of attorney for health, but not significantly associated with other ACP behaviors. Instead, health and social factors, primarily need in health and informal support (i.e., number of coresidents and receiving financial help from family members), were associated with different types of ACP components. Receiving public assistance (i.e., receiving Medicaid and SSI) were positively associated with EOL treatment preferences.Discussion and implicationsOlder foreign-born immigrants, in general, showed lower ACP engagement than the overall older population. Moreover, minority immigrants were lower on ACP engagement than both White immigrants. This study highlights the need for formal and informal assistance for enhancing EOL planning for older immigrants. Adding to the culturally competent approach, policy efforts should address social and health factors that accrued throughout individuals' life spans and affect older immigrants' EOL preparation and care.

Project description:Importance:Overall, 1 of 5 decedents in the United States is admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) before death. Objective:To describe structures, processes, and variability of end-of-life care delivered in ICUs in the United States. Design, Setting, and Participants:This nationwide cohort study used data on 16 945 adults who were cared for in ICUs that participated in the 68-unit ICU Liberation Collaborative quality improvement project from January 2015 through April 2017. Data were analyzed between August 2018 and June 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures:Published quality measures and end-of-life events, organized by key domains of end-of-life care in the ICU. Results:Of 16 945 eligible patients in the collaborative, 1536 (9.1%) died during their initial ICU stay. Of decedents, 654 (42.6%) were women, 1037 (67.5%) were 60 years or older, and 1088 (70.8%) were identified as white individuals. Wide unit-level variation in end-of-life care delivery was found. For example, the median unit-stratified rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation avoidance in the last hour of life was 89.5% (interquartile range, 83.3%-96.1%; range, 50.0%-100%). Median rates of patients who were pain free and delirium free in last 24 hours of life were 75.1% (interquartile range, 66.0%-85.7%; range, 0-100%) and 60.0% (interquartile range, 43.7%-85.2%; range, 9.1%-100%), respectively. Ascertainment of an advance directive was associated with lower odds of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the last hour of life (odds ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.49-0.99; P = .04), and a documented offer or delivery of spiritual support was associated with higher odds of family presence at the time of death (odds ratio, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.37-2.77; P < .001). Death in a unit with an open visitation policy was associated with higher odds of pain in the last 24 hours of life (odds ratio, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.15-4.27; P = .02). Unsupervised cluster analysis revealed 3 mutually exclusive unit-level patterns of end-of-life care delivery among 63 ICUs with complete data. Cluster 1 units (14 units [22.2%]) had the lowest rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation avoidance but achieved the highest pain-free rate. Cluster 2 (25 units [39.7%]) had the lowest delirium-free rate but achieved high rates of all other end-of-life events. Cluster 3 (24 units [38.1%]) achieved high rates across all favorable end-of-life events. Conclusions and Relevance:In this study, end-of-life care delivery varied substantially among ICUs in the United States, and the patterns of care observed suggest that units can be characterized as higher and lower performing. To achieve optimal care for patients who die in an ICU, future research should target unit-level variation and disseminate the successes of higher-performing units.

Project description:Background: The end-of-life period is a crucial time in lung cancer care. To have a better understanding of the racial-ethnic disparities in health care expenditures, access, and quality, we evaluated these disparities specifically in the end-of-life period for patients with lung cancer in the U.S.Materials and methods: We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database to analyze characteristics of lung cancer care among those diagnosed between the years 2000 and 2011. Linear and logistic regression models were constructed to measure racial-ethnic disparities in end-of-life care cost and utilization among non-Hispanic (NH) Asian, NH black, Hispanic, and NH white patients while controlling for other risk factors such as age, sex, and SEER geographic region.Results: Total costs and hospital utilization were, on average, greater among racial-ethnic minorities compared with NH white patients in the last month of life. Among patients with NSCLC, the relative total costs were 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-1.33) for NH black patients, 1.36 (95% CI, 1.25-1.49) for NH Asian patients, and 1.21 (95% CI, 1.07-1.38) for Hispanic patients. Additionally, the odds of being admitted to a hospital for NH black, NH Asian, and Hispanic patients were 1.22 (95% CI, 1.15-1.30), 1.47 (95% CI, 1.32-1.63), and 1.18 (95% CI, 1.01-1.38) times that of NH white patients, respectively. Similar results were found for patients with SCLC.Conclusion: Minority patients with lung cancer have significantly higher end-of-life medical expenditures than NH white patients, which may be explained by a greater intensity of care in the end-of-life period.Implications for practice: This study investigated racial-ethnic disparities in the cost and utilization of medical care among lung cancer patients during the end-of-life period. Compared with non-Hispanic white patients, racial-ethnic minority patients were more likely to receive intensive care in their final month of life and had statistically significantly higher end-of-life care costs. The findings of this study may lead to a better understanding of the racial-ethnic disparities in end-of-life care, which can better inform future end-of-life interventions and help health care providers develop less intensive and more equitable care, such as culturally competent advanced care planning programs, for all patients.

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Dataset Information

United states acculturation and cancer patients' end-of-life care.

Background

Methods and findings

Conclusion

Publications

United states acculturation and cancer patients' end-of-life care.

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