Building Support for Potentially Misunderstood Policies

Palliative and hospice care have been concepts of considerable public confusion in the United States. Fears about “death panels” and euthanasia hinder the public’s understanding of the role of these forms of care. With the growth in use of hospice services for terminally ill patients, there has been a slight increase in awareness of their value and an improved understanding of what they actually entail. However, the understanding of what “palliative care” is (with or without hospice) hasn’t grown as quickly. Using survey data and academic literature, this presentation examines the evolution of public understanding of both palliative and hospice care, and their overlapping roles for patients.

One key area covered is the implementation of Section 3004 of the Affordable Care Act, requiring hospice providers to report extensive quality data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This Section requires the provision of information related to their Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement programs and the NQF#0209 Pain Measure. The explicit aim of the Pain Measure is to “ensure integration of patient choice of desired level of treatment with the care process by incorporating the patient’s own pain goals and perception of his or her own degree of comfort…incorporates both patient preference and measure outcomes, it is useful and meaningful for consumers, providers, and payers.” The presentation will explore the accomplishment of these aims thus far, the role of hospice and palliative care organizations in expanding public awareness, and the current state of public opinion about palliative and hospice care.