Prev Chronic Dis
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Most studies that describe hospice use among cancer patients use the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database, which has known limitations. We used vital records data to describe patterns of hospice use among cancer decedents in Alabama. ⋯ Alabamians use hospice at lower rates than observed elsewhere. Barriers to hospice care in Alabama must be identified and addressed.
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Epidemiologic studies usually use database diagnoses or patient self-report to identify disease cohorts, but no previous research has examined the extent to which self-report of chronic disease agrees with database diagnoses in a Veterans Affairs (VA) health care setting. ⋯ Diagnoses identified from databases agree with self-report for diabetes but not COPD/asthma, depression, or heart disease in a VA health care setting.