National Survey: Palliative Care Services in Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals (LTACHs)
Since every patient in long-term acute care hospitals (L-TACHs) has a serious illness, a survey published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management sought to evaluate the availability, scope, structure, and staffing of palliative care programs in this setting. The study's authors, which include CAPC's Rachael Heitner, MPH, and Brynn Bowman, MPA, found that palliative care was more commonly reported by independently owned, nonprofit LTACHs within health care systems, with variability in structure, along with opportunities for growth and training. They found that while palliative care is viewed positively, there are barriers of staffing and financing that need to be overcome in order to expand palliative care in LTACHs.