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Hospices' preparation and practices for quality measurement
Laura C Hanson1, Anna P Schenck, Franziska S Rokoske
1Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care Program, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7550, USA. lhanson@med.unc.edu
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
|February 2, 2010
Summary
Hospices are preparing for quality measurement mandates, but electronic data use is limited. Larger organizations with a change leader show greater readiness for quality improvement and research.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Quality Improvement
- Palliative Care Research
Background:
- National guidelines and regulations necessitate quality of care measurement in hospice and palliative care.
- Hospice organizations face new mandates for quality measurement and research.
- Limited information exists on hospice readiness for these quality mandates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess hospice preparation and practices for quality measurement and research.
- To identify organizational characteristics associated with quality improvement and research capacity.
Main Methods:
- A web-based survey was administered to hospice staff overseeing quality of care.
- Data were collected from 652 member organizations of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).
Main Results:
- Most hospices involve clinicians in care practice changes (69%) and quality improvement projects (64%), but research participation is low (16%).
- Common data collection includes staff certification (76%) and family surveys (70%); electronic data use is infrequent (13%-29%).
- Larger size, multiple sites, government ownership, and a dedicated change leader correlated with better preparation for quality improvement and research.
Conclusions:
- Limited current practices, data collection, and electronic systems may hinder hospice quality improvement and research efforts.
- Organizational size and a designated change leader are linked to enhanced capacity for quality measurement and research.
- Hospices may require technical assistance and training to effectively measure quality of care.
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