Ask the Home Care Data Guru: How do I measure Medicare hospice utilization?
Q: How do I measure Medicare hospice utilization?
A: Traditionally, the hospice industry has measured utilization based on the percentage of deaths on hospice compared to the total deaths or total planned deaths for a given geography. Using the planned death figure eliminates accidents and suicides, since these deaths could not have been candidates for hospice because of their sudden nature. This information can be found at the county and state levels. To use the planned death figure, however, requires a cause of death breakdown.
Mortality information can usually be found through the individual state’s Department of Health publications and Web sites. The Epidemiology of Dying and End-of-Life Experience (EDELE) Web site, for example, links to this mortality data on a state-by-state basis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is another source for mortality statistics; however, the data at this site is often several years behind and not easily accessible. Unfortunately, there is no uniformity as to when this data is made available. In fact, one state recently failed to publish its mortality information online.
Because of this inconsistency, Healthcare Market Resources developed an alternative measure – Medicare patients served on hospice compared to total Medicare enrollees. This information can be accessed on a more timely and consistent basis. Most importantly, we found 80% to 95% correlation between the two hospice utilization measures. From a statistical perspective, this means that the two methods are effectively the same.
To see our latest analysis of hospice utilization rates at the state level using this method, check out a recent Healthcare Market Resources’ Metrics Matter article: “How Does Your Agency’s Hospice Utilization Compare to State Levels?” In addition, you can click here or call 215-657-7373 to request a state-by-state analysis.