End-of-life hospital stays for NY, NJ patients are nation's longest

 
Patients in the New York-New Jersey area spend more days in the hospital at the end-of-life than in any other U.S. state, reflecting high demand for aggressive treatment. 

During 2011, patients were hospitalized an average of 14.4 days in New York during the last six months of life and 12.9 days in New Jersey, compared to a national average of 9.8 days, according to Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care data cited Sept. 21 by NPR. Diane E. Meier, MD, director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care and a Journal of Palliative Medicine board member, told NPR’s Weekend Edition that the results reflected the region’s culture of heavy treatment. 

 That culture is driven by a high proportion of medical specialists and subspecialists who constantly refer patients to each other, added Dr. Meier, who is a professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Link to source>>