Comparing an Embedded SW/NP Hospital-Based Palliative Care Model Against Referral-Based Specialty Care
In an article published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, researchers at an academic medical center compared an embedded social worker- and nurse practitioner-led hospital primary palliative care model with referral-based specialty palliative care for hospitalized patients with serious illness. The embedded model was associated with lower ICU admission rates and shorter hospital stays, while maintaining comparable demographic diversity, 30-day readmission rates, and more. The authors conclude the model improves access, reduces acute care utilization, and is sustainable over time—supporting timely, culturally sensitive, needs-based palliative care that may be scalable for hospital-based delivery.