More hospitals offering palliative care
According to a new analysis by the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), U.S. hospitals continue to implement palliative care programs at a rapid pace.
Based on data from the 2008 American Hospital Association's Annual Survey of Hospitals, the study found 1,299 hospitals provide palliative care programs, up from 632 in 2000. About 31% of the 4,136 hospitals appropriate for palliative care programs, which excludes psychiatric and rehab hospitals, have a program, CAPC said. The rate increases to 47% for hospitals with more than 50 beds and 77% for hospitals with more than 250 beds.
"Palliative care represents a paradigm shift in how we treat serious illness in America," said CAPC director Diane Meier. "Ten years ago, there were almost no hospital palliative care programs in the U.S," she noted.
According to a new analysis by the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), U.S. hospitals continue to implement palliative care programs at a rapid pace.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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