• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Goals of hospitalist palliative care

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, August 25, 2009

As the population ages, the burden on hospitalists to provide effective care to patients with chronic illness increases. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the population of adults 65 years of age and older will grow by approximately 50% by the year 2020.

Providing care for the chronically ill requires the knowledge and expertise to care for patients with one or more chronic illnesses, from which they will not fully recover. In caring for the hospitalized patient with chronic disease, it is necessary to identify the impact of the illness on the patient’s quality of life and to identify the services and treatments necessary to sustain optimal functionality. Hospitalists need tools to identify barriers to care and deficits in support that negatively affect the patient’s quality of life.

What should the goals of such a program be? The palliative care team should work with the patient, the patient’s care providers, and the patient’s family to assess the needs for medical care, community support, spiritual support, home care, and the financial support required to provide optimal care for the patient. To appropriately provide palliative care to a patient, the multidisciplinary team should focus on providing support:

• Relieve physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering
• Educate and communicate with the patient and family regarding chronic illness and death
• Assist the patient and family with medical decision-making
• Coordinate care across multiple care settings and maintain continuity

If the team successfully delivers these services, they will improve patient and family satisfaction during a stressful time.

The above is an excerpt from The Hospitalist Program Management Guide, Second Edition, written by Kenneth G. Simone, DO and Jeffrey R. Dichter, MD, FACP.

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