From CEPAC’s report, “Palliative care is a management approach that provides symptom relief and comfort care to patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses, with the goal of improving quality of life for both patients and their families. Unlike hospice care, which is typically restricted to individuals with a prognosis of survival of six months or less, palliative care can begin at diagnosis and is often provided along with treatment aimed at prolonging life, such as chemotherapy or radiation for cancer. One of the primary objectives of palliative care is to help patients prioritize their goals of care, and may include conversations around advance care planning (e.g., a “living will”) depending the anticipated disease trajectory.”
The group voted unanimously that there is evidence to
demonstrate some forms of outpatient palliative care treatment are effective at
improving the quality of life and reducing hospitalizations and ED use. The majority
also voted that outpatient palliative care is a high value treatment. But members
expressed concern that more research is needed to persuade payers to cover it. Other
concerns included workforce capacity challenges, time for training busy primary
care providers in palliative care, and teasing out which parts of the model are
critical to success. Aetna described their successful Compassionate
Care program which has an impressive record of improving the quality of
life for people and their families facing serious illness, as well as saving
money.
Evidence
is growing that palliative care can prolong life as well as support
patients who choose to remain home. For more on the issue, read CEPAC’s Palliative
Care: Barriers, Opportunities and Considerations for Quality Improvement.
