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End-of-Life Cancer Care in the Deep South: The Role of Race

acase@tulane.edu / High-quality end-of-life cancer care supports patients' quality of life by providing care to maximize comfort and minimize the physical or psychological harm often caused by unnecessary aggressive treatments. There are recognized racial inequities in the aggressiveness of end-of-life care between Black and White adults, but these discrepancies have not been examined thoroughly in the Deep South. This study has two aims: (a) to test the feasibility of utilizing a novel database in the Deep South and (b) to examine the association between race and aggressive end-of-life cancer care. Retrospective administrative data were extracted from the Research Action for Health Network (REACHnet) database using their Common Data Model. Logistic regressions were used to analyze the relationship between race and each indicator of aggressive care (chemotherapy use, inpatient hospitalization, emergency department admission, intensive care unit admission, or mechanical ventilation in the 30 days before death). Additionally, ordinal regression was used to examine the relationship between race and a composite measure of all indicators of aggressive care. Utilizing the REACHnet database was successful to provide clinical health data. Results supported the omnibus hypothesis and partially hypotheses focused on specific indicators of aggressive care. Racial disparities in the Deep South exist which may impact a patient’s treatment and subsequent quality of life near death. The mechanisms driving such disparities deserve further attention to eliminate racial disparities in end-of-life care for patients with advanced cancer. / 0 / Leah Walsh

  1. tulane:82997
Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:TULANE/oai:http://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/:tulane_82997
Date January 2018
ContributorsWalsh, Leah (author), Hoerger, Michael (Thesis advisor), School of Science & Engineering Psychology (Degree granting institution)
PublisherTulane University
Source SetsTulane University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText
Formatelectronic
RightsNo embargo, Copyright is in accordance with U.S. Copyright law.

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