HISPANICS' EXPERIENCES IN THE HEALTH SYSTEM PRIOR TO HOSPICE ADMISSION.

National data document that Hispanics are under-represented in hospice. Policy makers often attribute the under-representation to Hispanics' cultural values and preferences, however, another reason may be healthcare system barriers encountered by Hispanics. We explored Hispanics' versus Whites' experiences in the healthcare system prior to hospice admission to help account for Hispanics under-representation in hospice. The conceptual model was the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Model on Healthcare Access. Whites' experiences were used as benchmarks to identify healthcare disparities for Hispanics. In four hospice agencies, Hispanic (n = 60) and White (n = 60) Medicare patients were interviewed. The results showed that prior to hospice admission, Hispanics had less access to health services known to be associated with hospice access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]