Term of Award
Fall 2011
Degree Name
Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.)
Document Type and Release Option
Dissertation (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health
Committee Chair
James Stephens
Committee Member 1
Robert Vogel
Committee Member 2
Gerald Ledlow
Committee Member 3
Richard Ackermann
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine differences in treatment level at the end of life according to race and socioeconomic status and the extent a palliative intervention may change the course and cost of care. The study population included patients from the Medical Center of Central Georgia (N=2,920). The data were examined as a secondary analysis retrospectively. Data from the medical record and a unique clinical database were coded into descriptive, predictor, and outcome variables to define the population, and the patient's treatment status before and after the intervention. McNemar's test of symmetry, Chi Square, and Logistic Regression models were used to examine relationships between predictor and outcome variables including race, gender, age, disease, income, and education levels affecting code status, comfort status and discharge to hospice. Costs pre- and post-intervention were also examined using the t-test. Results demonstrated that the palliative intervention had a significant effect on costs and care level. Further, African Americans with lower levels of education were more likely to choose aggressive measures than Caucasians. Findings may improve understanding of the palliative intervention and encourage culturally competent end-of-life education.
Recommended Citation
Benton, Kathleen, "An Examination of the Influence of Socioeconomic Status and Race on End-of-Life Treatment Level Following a Palliative Intervention" (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 640.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/640
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
