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Palliative care access varies widely in the US according to new study in J Palliative Medicine
October 03, 2008There has been rapid growth of new, innovative palliative care consultation services in the nation's hospitals. More than half of the 50-bed or larger hospitals in the U.S. offer palliative care services to ease pain and suffering for seriously ill patients and their families. However, the availability of these services varies widely across geographic regions, according to a study published in the October 2008 issue of the peer-reviewed, Journal of Palliative Medicine. The study is available online at www.liebertpub.com/jpm
Whereas in 2000 only a few hospitals in the U.S. provided palliative care services, this report documents a steady overall increase in adoption of palliative care, with 52.8% of hospitals surveyed offering services aimed at alleviating pain and suffering. The number of large hospitals (>249 beds) with palliative care programs has increased to 72.2%, while fewer small hospitals (>50 beds) reported offering these services. Growth in palliative care has occurred mainly in not-for-profit hospitals and has been most notable in the midwestern and western regions of the U.S.
Benjamin Goldsmith, Jessica Dietrich, MPH, Qingling Du, MS, and R. Sean Morrison, MD, from the National Palliative Care Research Center, and Center to Advance Palliative Care in New York, report these findings in a paper entitled, "Variability in Access to Hospital Palliative Care in the United States."
"This paper documents the success and applicability of this new field of medicine in American health care. I hope it leads to the patient expectation that the expert relief of suffering will be as routine in hospitals as cardiology or surgery," says Charles F. von Gunten, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal and Provost, Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice.
Importantly, the study found that 84% of medical schools were associated with at least one hospital that has a palliative care program. This positive finding implies that future doctors will have access to training in palliative care, facilitating its incorporation into their daily patient care routines.
Additionally, the authors observed that the availability of palliative care services is inversely related to Medicare expenditures. "This implies that palliative care is consistent with other innovations-when the right care is applied to the right patient at the right time, overall costs go down because futile or ineffective approaches are abandoned in favor of the effective new intervention," says von Gunten.
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News
"This paper documents the success and applicability of this new field of medicine in American health care. I hope it leads to the patient expectation that the expert relief of suffering will be as routine in hospitals as cardiology or surgery," says Charles F. von Gunten, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal and Provost, Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice.
Importantly, the study found that 84% of medical schools were associated with at least one hospital that has a palliative care program. This positive finding implies that future doctors will have access to training in palliative care, facilitating its incorporation into their daily patient care routines.
Additionally, the authors observed that the availability of palliative care services is inversely related to Medicare expenditures. "This implies that palliative care is consistent with other innovations-when the right care is applied to the right patient at the right time, overall costs go down because futile or ineffective approaches are abandoned in favor of the effective new intervention," says von Gunten.
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News
Palliative Care Current Events and Palliative Care News RSSDying from dementia
A growing number of older adults are dying from dementia. In an editorial in the October 15, 2009 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Greg Sachs, M.D., professor of medicine and director of the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine and a Regenstrief Institute investigator, notes that end-of-life care for most older adults with dementia has not changed in decades and urges that these individuals be provided far greater access to palliative care, the management of pain and other symptoms.
Calculate benefit before dialysis for frail elders
Kidney specialists should weigh the potential quality of life for frail elders with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in opting for dialysis over more conservative therapies, a nephrologist and a palliative care specialist suggest in an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Instanyl sets new standard in management of breakthrough cancer pain
New data presented today further demonstrate the efficacy of Instanyl in management of breakthrough cancer pain. The data which were presented at the 6th congress of the European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain (EFIC) are from a multinational, crossover trial comparing Instanyl with oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC) for the treatment of breakthrough pain in patients with cancer.
Expanded insurance benefits break down barriers to hospice care, according to new study
Patients with advanced illnesses more than doubled their use of hospice care when a major national health plan made hospice care more readily accessible, according to the results of a comparative study published in Journal of Palliative Medicine.
Palliative care intervention for patients with advanced cancer provides quality of life benefits
Patients with advanced cancer who received a palliative care intervention focused on addressing physical and psychosocial issues and care coordination that was provided at the same time as cancer treatment reported improved quality of life and mood but did not experience a significant change in the number of days in the hospital or the severity of their symptoms compared to patients who received usual care.
Atrial fibrillation linked to increased hospitalization in heart failure patients
Patients with atrial fibrillation, common in those with advanced chronic heart failure, have an increased risk of hospitalization due to heart failure.
Acupuncture Eases Radiation-Induced Dry Mouth in Cancer Patients
Twice weekly acupuncture treatments relieve debilitating symptoms of xerostomia - severe dry mouth - among patients treated with radiation for head and neck cancer, researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the current online issue of Head & Neck.
Young women warned of lung cancer risks
Seventeen people are still dying from lung cancer each week in Northern Ireland despite a small improvement in survival rates for the disease.
Study finds race and ethnicity affect use of hospice services among patients with advanced cancer
Race and ethnicity appear to have an effect on whether a patient with terminal cancer uses hospice care services, according to a study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).
Brown Expert Offers Guide to End-of-Life Care
Years ago, dying patients in most communities often had a single option if they needed hospice care. Now they have many more; competition reigns.
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Symptom Management Algorithms: A Handbook for Palliative Care by Linda (Author), M.D. Wrede-Seaman (Author), Intellicard (Editor), Intellicard (Editor), Inc (Editor), Inc (Editor) Pocket sized hospice and palliative care handbook recently updated and released for those providing end of life care and interfacing with the management of advanced chronic diseases. Includes detailled assessment tool, treatment guidelines, tables and scales for pain management and other distressing symptoms. A practical educational tool for nurses in hospice, oncology, long term care and inpatient palliative care. Includes guidelines for spiritual, psychosocial and dignity conserving interventions for patients and their families facing a terminal illness! |
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