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Enabling the transition to hospice through effective palliative care.
1Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Rochester, NY, USA.
The Case Manager
|January 29, 2005
Summary
End-of-life care needs improvement. Palliative care is often delayed and not integrated with chronic disease management, despite advances in pain and symptom palliation.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Gerontology
- Public Health
Background:
- End-of-life care has evolved due to increased life expectancy and chronic disease prevalence.
- Societal views on death are shifting, influenced by technological advancements.
- Current hospice referrals are often too late for maximum benefit.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the need for better integration of palliative care.
- To advocate for a more continuous model of care from health to end-of-life.
- To address the disconnect between palliative care expertise and chronic disease management.
Main Methods:
- Review of current trends in end-of-life care.
- Analysis of societal perceptions of death and dying.
- Examination of palliative care integration with chronic disease management.
Main Results:
- Palliative care expertise exists but is underutilized and poorly integrated.
- Late hospice referrals limit effectiveness.
- A gap exists in continuum of care from wellness through end-of-life.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need to improve end-of-life care delivery.
- Palliative care must be integrated earlier and throughout chronic disease management.
- A comprehensive, continuous care model is essential for optimal patient outcomes.