Making the Case for Hospital-Based Palliative Care
The number of U.S. hospitals offering palliative care services is growing rapidly. Researchers report that the number of programs in US hospitals with 50 or more beds increased from 658 (24.5%) to 1,486 (58.5%) – a 125.8% increase from 2000-2008. [Source: 2002 to 2010 American Hospital Association Annual Hospital Surveys for FY 2000 to 2008; and data from the Center to Advance Palliative Care’s (CAPC) 2009 National Palliative Care Registry.
Palliative care programs link diverse hospital departments and services for effective and efficient use of hospital resources. This approach results in higher quality, well-planned treatment that anticipates future care needs.
Palliative care helps patients understand the nature of their illness and make timely, informed decisions about their care, together with their families. Seriously ill patients benefit from palliative care at any stage of their illness. Therefore, palliative care should be considered a key component of medical care along with all other appropriate treatments.
The following discuss how palliative care plays a crucial role in the treatment of seriously ill patients:
- Defining Palliative Care
- Hospital-Based Palliative Care
- What Patients Want
- Benefits to Hospitals
- Improving Clinical Outcomes
CAPC has published "The Case for Hospital-Based Palliative Care" which expands the above information and provides support and examples that help professionals demonstrate the rationale for establishing a program. It can be downloaded or ordered in hard copy.
Key Supporting Studies:
