NHPCO participates in IOM "Dying in America" National Action Conference

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 27, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At a recent National Action Conference hosted by the Institute of Medicine held in Washington, DC, NHPCO wholeheartedly voiced its support for the findings and recommendations of the comprehensive IOM report that highlights the critical need for improvement in end-of-life care in America.

The Institute of Medicine brought together leaders from the health care sector, policy area, and stakeholder organizations to explore ways that the recommendations in the IOM report Dying in America: Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life could be implemented.

Victor J. Dzau, MD, president of the IOM welcomed participants, provided an overview of the landmark report, and facilitated a discussion between Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA). The senators stressed the importance of care planning. Legislation supporting this as well as existing efforts were discussed.

NHPCO President and CEO J. Donald Schumacher, PsyD participated in a stakeholder panel discussion that also included leaders from National Quality Forum, American Nurses Association, US Department of Veterans Affairs, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, and American College of Physicians.

In his remarks, Schumacher said, "We support it as the national organization representing the majority of hospice and palliative care providers in the US, as well as a member of the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care."

Current members of the coalition are the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, The Association for Professional Chaplains, The Center to Advance Palliative Care, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, The National Palliative Care Research Center and the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network.

Additional key messages shared by NHPCO and members of the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care included:

• Too many Americans have a healthcare experience near the end of life is fragmented rather than seamless, lacking in communication, appropriate transitions, as well as family/caregiver support.
• This uncoordinated care contributes to higher healthcare costs because of repeated emergency room visits, hospital readmissions and time spent in intensive care… at a detriment to the patient and his/her family.
• As the IOM report clearly states, millions of Americans are NOT getting the kind of end-of-life care that the authors champion as their overarching recommendation: "High quality, cost-effective, person and family-centered care should be accessible to anyone with a serious, advanced illness or near the end of life."
• Person and family centered care delivered by an interdisciplinary team is at the heart of hospice and palliative care.  We join our coalition members in strongly supporting the IOM's recommendation for earlier referrals to hospice and palliative care, as multiple peer-reviewed studies have shown the benefits.
• Not only can hospice care and palliative care improve the quality of life in advanced illness, but research shows patients gaining access to this care at the appropriate time may actually live longer.

"From my first-hand experience as a provider, I can tell you the most frequent comment we would hear from families is 'why did we wait so long to get hospice care for our loved one,'" noted Schumacher.

Conversation resources created to complement the Dying in America report are available on the IOM website.

Contact:
Anita Brikman
Senior Vice President, Strategic Communications
Ph: 703-837-3154

NHPCO is the oldest and largest nonprofit leadership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. NHPCO's mission is to lead and mobilize social change for improved care at the end of life.

SOURCE National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Related Links

http://www.nhpco.org

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