• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Palliative care programs on the rise

Case Management Weekly, May 16, 2007

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Case Management Weekly!

As the U.S. population ages and develops more illnesses, the need for palliative care programs will increase dramatically. An article in USA Today quotes the U.S. Census Bureau as reporting that the number of U.S. residents 65 and older will increase by 44%, to 55 million, by 2020.

Since 2000, the number of medical centers that provide palliative care has increased to 1,240, or about 30% of hospitals, according to the Center to Advance Palliative Care, a national organization dedicated to increasing palliative care awareness.

Additionally, a study conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) found that hospitals can reduce costs by 57% when patients are moved from regular departments to palliative care units.

According to the DVA, savings can be attributed to:

• Moving patients out of critical care and treating them in more appropriate settings
• A reduction in ED visits and readmissions
• Avoiding expensive and sometimes unnecessary tests such as cat scans and MRI's

Source: USA Today; Center to Advance Palliative Care

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Case Management Weekly!

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive