Access to hospice: a perspective from the bereaved.

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Hospice care has been available in the United States for nearly three decades.
• Despite its availability, hospice services continue to be underutilized, presenting an ongoing challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the barriers to accessing hospice care.
• To gather recommendations for improving hospice care access from bereaved caregivers.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a series of focus groups with 12 recently bereaved caregivers (average 9.9 months post-bereavement).
• Participants were divided into two groups, with each group meeting twice over a two-week interval.
• Qualitative data from discussions were analyzed to identify emerging themes.

Main Results:

• Six major themes emerged from the focus group discussions.
• Two key themes directly addressed hospice access barriers: (1) societal and health system factors causing delayed access, and (2) educational and practice gaps among health professionals impacting access.
• Participants shared actionable recommendations to overcome these identified barriers.

Conclusions:

• Societal factors, health system issues, and healthcare professional education significantly impede timely access to hospice care.
• Addressing these identified barriers through targeted interventions and improved professional training is crucial for increasing hospice utilization.
• Caregiver insights provide valuable data for developing strategies to enhance hospice access.