Racial and ethnic differences in end-of-life care in the United States: evidence from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS)

Population ageing poses considerable challenges to the provision of quality end-of-life care. The population of the United States is increasingly diverse, making it imperative to design culturally sensitive end-of-life care interventions. We examined participants of the Health and Retirement Study, who died between 2002 and 2014, to examine racial and ethnic differences in end-of-life care utilization and end-of-life planning in the United States. Our study reveals significant disparities in end-of-life care and planning among studied groups. Findings reveal that racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to die in hospital and less likely to engage in end-of-life planning activities. The observed disparities are still significant but have been narrowing between 2002 and 2014. Efforts to reduce these differences should target both medical professionals and diverse 2 communities to ensure that improved models of care acknowledge heterogeneous values and needs of a culturally diverse US population.