Conclusion
This study is consistent with evidence showing that palliative care patients often use health care resources, such as the ED, for management of their needs. The findings also demonstrate that combined outpatient primary care and palliative care decrease ED utilization and hospital admissions in patients with life-limiting illness. Given the imminent changes to the US health care system, including the establishment of accountable-care organizations charged with reducing ED utilization and hospital admissions, the dissemination of this study could have a significant impact on decreasing unnecessary health care utilization across the country. Further study is recommended to address the cultural needs and barriers of racial groups that demonstrate high utilization, to investigate how to better serve patients living with end-stage renal disease and noncancer pain, and to further discern factors that may be impacting patients living in private homes.