Moderating effects of organizational minority representation on racial and ethnic differences in early palliative care receipt among patients diagnosed with advanced cancers in 2010-2019 in the US.

52 Background: Early palliative care (PC) is recommended for advanced cancers, but differential use has been documented by race and ethnicity. We examined whether racial and ethnic differences in early PC use were moderated by organization-level proportions of minority patients served. Methods: We identified patients aged ≥65.5 years diagnosed with advanced-stage breast, colorectal, non-small cell lung (NSCL), small cell lung (SCL), pancreas, and prostate cancers in 2010-2019 with ≥6 months survival and continuous fee-for-service coverage from the SEER-Medicare data. Early PC was identified by PC encounter diagnosis codes or hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) specialty codes within 90 days post-diagnosis or up to first hospice admission date. Treating physicians and organizations were assigned based on the plurality of visits within 180 days surrounding diagnosis. Using patient race and ethnicity information, organizations were classified based on the percent of racial and ethnic minorities patients (Low<10%, Medium 10-19%, and High Minority-Serving ≥20%). Multivariable logistic models assessed interacting effects of organizations’ minority representation and individual race and ethnicity on early PC receipt, adjusting for patient characteristics. Results: Among 102,060 patients treated at 8,039 organizations, the percent receiving early PC increased from 1.44% in 2010 to 10.30% in 2019. High Minority-Serving organizations were larger size and more likely to employ a HPM specialist and to treat a higher proportion of patients in metropolitan but lower socioeconomic areas, and were dually Medicare-Medicaid eligible. After adjusting for patient characteristics, Hispanic patients were 1.6 percentage points (ppts, 95%CI=-3.1, -0.1) less likely to receive early PC than Non-Hispanic (NH) White patients in Low Minority-Serving organizations. In High Minority-Serving organizations, Hispanic and NH Black patients were 0.8 ppts (95%CI=0.1, 1.6) and 1.6 ppts (95%CI=1.0, 2.3) more likely to receive early PC than NH White patients. (Table). Conclusions: Racial and ethnic minorities were more likely to receive early PC than NH White at High Minority-Serving organizations but not Medium/Low Minority-Serving organizations. System-level factors may be modified to narrow racial and ethnic differences in early PC use. Adjusted difference in early palliative care by race and ethnicity. Organization Minority Representation Individual Adjusted Probability Difference (95% CI) Low NH White Ref Hispanic -1.6 (-3.1, -0.1) NH Black 0.01 (-1.7, 1.7) Other/Unknown 1.1 (-1.2, 3.4) Medium NH White Ref Hispanic -0.6 (-1.7, 0.5) NH Black -0.8 (-1.7, 0.2) Other/Unknown 0.4 (-0.9, 1.7) High Non-Hispanic White Ref Hispanic 0.8 (0.1, 1.6) NH Black 1.6 (1.0, 2.3) Other/Unknown -0.3 (-1.1, 0.4)