When Do Latinos Use Hospice Services? Studying the Utilization of Hospice Services by Hispanics/Latinos

This study focuses on the utilization of hospice services within the Latino community including both hospice and non-hospice users. Data were collected from 20 participants using semi-structured interviews. Verbatim transcripts were examined through a combination of ethnographic, open coding, and thematic categorization of the interviewees' responses. The research uncovers cultural factors that contribute to the underutilization of hospice services by this population. The findings indicate that hospice users learned about their terminal diagnosis during a hospital admission from an attending physician. When hospice services were offered, these individuals accepted the services. Conversely, all of the non-hospice users learned about their terminal diagnosis in a medical office setting from their primary physician. When they were offered hospice services, they refused the services.