The Why and How of Developing Palliative Care Program Standards
Published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, this article by the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC)'s Allison Silvers, MBA, and Stacie Sinclair, MPP, with Ira R. Byock, MD, FAAHPM, describes the need for clearer standards in palliative care program design and delivery. The authors examine wide variation across palliative care programs in staffing, services, availability, and patient reach, which contributes to inconsistent outcomes and confusion across systems.
Drawing on the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care (NCP Guidelines) and a review of state Medicaid regulations and private payer policies, CAPC developed a set of structure and process standards to improve consistency, quality, and accountability. The proposed framework incorporates input from expert panels, quality measures, and existing regulatory approaches, and has been shared with policymakers and health system stakeholders to support broader adoption and alignment across payer and provider environments.