Patients nearing the end of life who go to the ER may have to wait for hospice care until it is too late One hospital's push to speed the transition got patients supportive end-of-life care sooner than before Hospice care focuses on patient comfort and family support TUESDAY, July 9, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- One hospital's push to transition patients who are nearing the end of life from the emergency room to hospice care appears to be working. After the program went into effect, 54% of ER patients at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston transitioned to hospice care within 96 hours. That compared to 22% before the program began in 2021.
Their findings suggest that such programs may help adults who present at the ER near the end of life avoid delayed or missed hospice care. "When patients come to an emergency room near end of life, the default is typically to admit them to the hospital, engage them in conversations about goals and end-of-life care and potentially move them into hospice care," said first study author , an emergency department physician at Brigham and Women's. "However, this lengthy progress can take longer than the patient has left to live.
" He said the new program helps doctors quickly identify patients who are eligible for hospice care and get them there quicker. In hospice care, attempts to cure a person's illness are stopped and the focus shifts to comfort care and family support. For patients nearing the end of life, can provide safe, comfortable and dign.
