Many specialists do not refer cancer patients to palliative care or mental health care during their course of treatment, a survey of more than 240 oncologists found. The physicians cited a lack of understanding of palliative care as a leading barrier. The data appeared in an Oncology Insights report from Cardinal Health. Among the respondents, […]
Category: Data
A need to socially distance, along with regulatory waivers, led to a boom of telehealth utilization in hospice, making it a critical connection linking providers to patients. However, new data suggests that patient satisfaction with telehealth is declining across the health care continuum. Earlier in the pandemic, satisfaction with telehealth ran high, but that appears […]
Recent research from the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care found that collaborative communication between clinicians and patients is key to improving health equity among seriously and terminally ill populations. Of nearly 2,500 people surveyed nationwide during the course of last year, 87% indicated that it was important for their physicians to know their priorities. […]
Globally, about 1 in 10 of individuals in need of palliative care actually receive it even as demand rises, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The organization expects the need for palliative care to double by 2060. WHO released the data in advance of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, observed on Oct. 9. WHO […]
The number of dementia patients is expected to rise by 40%, or 139 million people globally, by 2050, according to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Hospices have been caring for dementia patients in larger numbers in recent years and will have a significant role to play as rates of cognitive decline continue […]
Physician offices rarely perceive differentiation among hospices, home health or palliative care providers in their markets. In many cases, the most important factor they consider when referring to a home-based post-acute provider is the speed with which those organizations respond to them, according to new data from Transcend Strategy Group. Nearly 81% of respondents to […]
Post-acute discharges into hospice have been on the rise during the last four years, but more patients need it than are receiving it, recent research has found. The demand for hospice coupled with under-utilization indicates a need for increased physician education about these services, particularly those in the acute care space. The number of patients […]
About 89% of people in the United States have inadequate knowledge of palliative care. One key determinant was health care utilization. The more regular health care services a patient receives, the more likely they are to have some understanding of palliative care, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Among the […]
Public policy intended to reduce opioid abuse and addiction appear to have the unintended consequence of limiting hospice patients’ access to these often necessary pain management drugs. Misapplication of current U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) guidelines for opioid prescribing is a likely contributor to this problem. Recent research spearheaded by the Oregon […]
Patients who inform their loved ones and health care providers of their end-of-life care wishes find that those goals are carried out 90% of the time, according to recent research in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open. Studies show that advance care planning can reduce hospitalizations by as much as 26%, reduce health […]