Beyond hospice care: a survey of community outreach programs

In an editorial by David Lescohier (The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care), the tough dilemma faced by many hospices today is our acceptance into the mainstream of the medical delivery system. Hospitals have found that offering specialized adjunct programs has helped them maintain an edge in a competitive environment. Part I of this article contains the results of a national survey which explored the differences in the hospices that are pursuing outreach programs and the direction of those programs. Part II provides results and discussion of the benefits, obstacles and problems in several types of outreach: counseling, schools, pre-hospice and day care.