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Although most Americans who are surveyed say that they would prefer to die at home, only a minority do so. To determine if the nature of premortem medical care has changed with the increasing acceptance of hospice care, researchers analyzed patterns of site of death, place of care, and healthcare transitions among a random 20% sample of all fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries who died in 2000, 2005, or 2009.
Between 2000 and 2009, use of hospice services at time of death almost doubled from 22% to 42%. In 2009, 60% of cancer patients and almost 50% of those with dementia were enrolled in hospice at time of death. Deaths in an acute care hospital decreased from 33% in 2000 to 25% in 2009, but deaths at home increased only minimally from 31…