Loading...
Date of Award
Spring 2025
Degree Name
Master of Medical Science (Physician Assistant)
Department
Physician Assistant; College of Health Sciences
First Advisor
Lisa Akselrad
Abstract
Hospice care, despite offering extensive medical, financial, emotional, and social support, remains a widely underutilized medical service. Studies indicate that patients who enter hospice care earlier experience reduced unnecessary aggressive treatments, fewer ICU visits, better adherence to their end-of-life wishes, and generally higher quality of life compared to those who either do not enter hospice or enter late. Significant barriers to earlier hospice admission include providers' challenges in accurately diagnosing a prognosis of less than six months and their discomfort in initiating end-of-life discussions. This article reviews the definition of hospice, the benefits of early hospice admission, provides tools for diagnosing patients, as well as guidance on how to have end-of-life conversations with patients and their family members.
Recommended Citation
Hoard, Amparo, "Early Hospice Admission is Associated with Better QOL Outcomes: Here’s Where to Start as a Provider" (2025). Capstone Showcase. 86.
https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/showcase/2025/pa/86
Early Hospice Admission is Associated with Better QOL Outcomes: Here’s Where to Start as a Provider
Hospice care, despite offering extensive medical, financial, emotional, and social support, remains a widely underutilized medical service. Studies indicate that patients who enter hospice care earlier experience reduced unnecessary aggressive treatments, fewer ICU visits, better adherence to their end-of-life wishes, and generally higher quality of life compared to those who either do not enter hospice or enter late. Significant barriers to earlier hospice admission include providers' challenges in accurately diagnosing a prognosis of less than six months and their discomfort in initiating end-of-life discussions. This article reviews the definition of hospice, the benefits of early hospice admission, provides tools for diagnosing patients, as well as guidance on how to have end-of-life conversations with patients and their family members.