Value of Palliative Care Units
From HMCwiki
Other than obvious quality of care issues, Palliative Beds have a positive impact on facilities in several ways: They generate revenue from physician and nurse practitioner encounters, free up ICU beds which reduces facility cost and prevents the necessity of diverting patient from your E.D., opens up new ICU beds, and allows you to have increased control regarding utilization/length of stay.
Palliative Care helps everyone: Community, Hospital, Physician, Staff, and most importantly the Patient and their families. Some specific ways HMC Partners found Palliative Care is helpful:
- Financially speaking, it can cut out unnecessary tests and procedures as well as prolonged stay.
- Reduced cost and length of stay in ICU and other units.
- Better patient management
- JCAHO is beginning to look at Palliative care as they once did pain services.
- For those interested in pursuing "Magnet Status" Palliative care has an impact in 13 of the 14 magnet forces. (does not impact #4 Management style)
- Providing psychosocial support to patients and families
- Staff satisfaction
- Improved patient outcomes with symptom management, quality of life, end of life care decisions, satisfaction.
- Physician Satisfaction. Physicians very accepting - able to continue with primary care, however have a team available to provide intense support services.
- "Providing Palliative Care at our Hospital is in alignment with our mission statement and it is the right thing to do"
