Characteristics of patients enrolled in hospice presenting to the emergency department

Emergency Departments (EDs) frequently care for patients with life-limiting illnesses, with nearly 1 in 5 patients enrolled in hospice presenting to an ED during their hospice enrollment. This study investigates the reasons patients enrolled in hospice seek care in the ED, the interventions they receive, and their outcomes. Multicenter, retrospective cohort study of patients enrolled in hospice who presented to an ED within a health system between 2018 and 2023. Descriptive analysis included patient characteristics, chief complaint, interventions, disposition, ED return visits and mortality. Comparisons were made via logistic regression between patients with a hospice enrollment diagnosis of cancer vs non-cancer diagnosis, patients enrolled in hospice for