Embedded SW/NP-Led Palliative Care Model Improves Access and Reduces Hospital Utilization
A study in the Journal of Palliative Medicine reports that an embedded hospital primary palliative care (HPPC) model, led by social workers and nurse practitioners, was associated with fewer ICU admissions and shorter hospital stays compared with traditional referral-based specialty palliative care (SPC) for hospitalized adults living with a serious illness. Conducted at a New York City academic medical center, the retrospective cohort study found that patients seen through the embedded model were older, had lower predicted mortality, and were more likely to pursue life-prolonging care. Outcomes were consistent across the two study periods, suggesting the model is a sustainable and scalable approach to delivering timely, needs-based palliative care in hospital settings.