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Expanded insurance benefits break down barriers to hospice care, according to new study
September 01, 2009Patients 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, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.(www.liebertpub.com). Journal of Palliative Medicine is the official journal of the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) and an official journal of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA). The article is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/jpm
In contrast with many insurers that limit access to hospice care, national healthcare insurer Aetna (Hartford, CT) studied a trial of expanded insurance benefits for hospice care and added nurse case managers who provided information to patients and their families. The result was a dramatic increase in both overall hospice use and the mean number of days in hospice care. This study must be evaluated in the light of compelling research data over the past decade that shows hospice care provides better care than standard care for patients near the end of life. The percent of patients referred for hospice care and the number of days in hospice care are nationally accepted measures of quality health care. Claire M. Spettell from Aetna and colleagues conclude that more liberal hospice insurance benefits and the addition of comprehensive case management to a health plan can help lead to better health care for patients with advanced illnesses. The authors document about a 70% increase in hospice use in the article entitled, "A Comprehensive Case Management Program to Improve Palliative Care."
"The scientific data has been clear for many years; hospice care for the last months of life is the best care during that period. It's delightful that national health insurers are investigating how to translate that science into better care for those they insure," says Charles F. von Gunten, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Palliative Medicine, and Provost, Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice.
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News
Hospice Care Current Events and Hospice 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.
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).
NIH report finds costs of digestive diseases has grown to more than $141 billion a year
Digestive, liver and pancreatic diseases result in more than 100 million outpatient visits and 13 million hospitalizations annually at a cost of $141.8 billion.
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.
Eligibility criteria contribute to racial disparities in hospice use
A new study finds that hospice services-care that is provided by physicians, visiting nurses, chaplains, home health aides, social workers and counselors-have restrictions that reduce usage by many patients who are most in-need, particularly African Americans.
Beyond the terminal: Palliative care
Palliative care was once reserved for patients when all curative options had been exhausted and death was imminent, but now it is considered an integral part of the care that should be available to patients with serious respiratory disorders and critical illnesses.
Study finds improvement in the care of children with cancer at the end of life
Expanded use of palliative care services is associated with enhanced communications between families and caregivers, improved symptoms management, and better quality of life for children dying from cancer, according to study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital Boston.
Seven-point system gauges seriousness of heart failure in elderly
A simple points system may soon help guide treatment of elderly heart failure patients. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that by counting how many of seven easy-to-obtain health factors a patient has, physicians can estimate the patient's risk of dying.
Hospice expert tells Beeb about pioneering palliative project
A leading expert in hospice care from Staffordshire University has been featured on an international BBC broadcast to talk about pioneering work involving a British aid team which helped set up palliative care in Russia. Bob Becker, a Senior Lecturer in Palliative Care at Staffordshire University's School of Health and the Shropshire and Mid-Wales Hospice, was recently interviewed on the Health Matters programme of the BBC World Service. Bob was invited onto the programme by BBC Russian Affairs Analyst Stephen Dalziel who was moved by an online article outlining Bob's visit to Moscow as part of a British humanitarian aid team. One experience that was particularly poignant for Bob was meeting
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The Hospice Handbook: A Complete Guide by Larry Beresford (Author), Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (Author) In recent years hospice care has gone from a little-known medical alternative to a major movement in health care that has played a leading role in the lives of over 200,000 people. By emphasizing palliative care and pain management rather than curative treatment, hospices allow the terminally ill to spend the last days, week, or months of their lives in their own homes, cared for by their families under the supervision of a team of specially trained hospice workers that includes doctors, nurses, social workers, and volunteers. The Hospice Handbook assures us that the terminally ill do have options, and the quality of their lives can still be within their control. |
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Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying by Maggie Callanan (Author), Patricia Kelley (Author) Five years after its first publication, with more than 150,000 copies in print, Final Gifts has become a classic. In this moving and compassionate book, hospice nurses Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley share their intimate experiences with patients at the end of life, drawn from more than twenty years experience tending the terminally ill. Through their stories we come to appreciate the near-miraculous ways in which the dying communicate their needs, reveal their feelings, and even choreograph their own final moments; we also discover the gifts--of wisdom, faith, and love--that the dying leave for the living to share. Filled with practical advice on responding to the requests of the dying and helping them prepare emotionally and spiritually for death, Final Gifts shows how we... |
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Advance Care Planning: Preferences for Care at the End of Life Part of the award winning public television series Healthy Body/Healthy Mind. In our society where so much attention is devoted to the immediacy of daily life, issues like serious illness and death are never easy to think about or discuss. But ignoring these topics can have devastating consequences. A growing number of people - both young and old - are taking a proactive role through a process known as Advanced Care Planning that includes completing a living will, a medical power of attorney and considering organ-donation options. This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply. |
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Hospice Palliative Care Review by Hospice New Zealand | |
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Hospice Care Awareness Ribbon Mouse Pad by MyHeritageWear.com The Hospice Care Ribbon proudly displayed on a mouse pad. There is no better way to achieve awareness for the meaning of the Hospice Care Ribbon than to display it on your mouse pad for everyone to see. The mouse pad measures at 9.25 x 7.75, it is machine washable, and the colors will not fade or run. Start gaining awareness today by presenting your Hospice Care Ribbon mouse pad at work or at home. It is certain to keep your mouse rolling in style all while gaining support and awareness! |
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Gold Replica Stamp-Hospice Care-Helping The Terminally Ill This is a gold replica of a Hospice care stamp issued by the Postal Commemorative Society. Hospice care,which is honored on this U.S. stamp, began in America in 1974.Hospice means "A resting place for travelers or pilgrims." |
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Hospice and Palliative Care: The Essential Guide for Effective Practice by Stephen Connor (Author) In the past 35 years, the hospice movement has undergone major changes and has grown enormously. Palliative care is of growing importance to society as our culture struggles with how to provide compassionate end-of-life care to a growing segment of the population. This book provides professionals with a comprehensive overview of the hospice practice, as well as the challenges faced by and the future direction of the hospice movement. Chapters address the fundamentals of hospice and palliative care, including key topics such as the goals and importance of community involvement, outcome measurement, and the manner in which hospices address death, grief, and bereavement. Also provided is a detailed analysis of the business side of hospice and offers strategies for proper management for... |
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Hospice Care: a Positive Choice [VHS] Starring: Lange Video | |
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Larry Beresford by Growth House, Inc. News and analysis of the hospice industry by Larry Beresford.Kindle blogs are fully downloaded onto your Kindle so you can read them even when you're not wirelessly connected. And unlike RSS readers which often only provide headlines, blogs on Kindle give you full text content and images, and are updated wirelessly throughout the day. |
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Paws With A Purpose: People and Animals That Care Starring: Volunteers, medical practitioners, educators Directed By: Jim Lawrence Also With: Jim Lawrence (Producer) |
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