Patient, Provider, and Health System Determinants of Hospice Length of Stay.

Summary: Going to hospice care early helps patients feel better and can save money. But many people wait too long to start. Doctors looked at over 2,000 patients to see why this happens. They found that patients with cancer usually stayed in hospice longer. However, patients living in nursing homes stayed for a shorter time. Also, patients sent to hospice by female doctors or regular doctors (instead of nurses) stayed longer. To fix this, we need to teach more nurses and nursing homes how to use hospice care sooner so patients get the help they need.