Study: Palliative Care Linked to Fewer Repeat Hospitalizations

Reuters Health has released a study that associates palliative care with fewer reoccurring hospital visits and increased quality of life for seriously-ill patients.

In the study, researchers focused on terminal cancer patients who were already hospitalized for serious medical issues. They analyzed each patient before and after they received palliative care consultations.

“Patients who received inpatient palliative care consultations have improved quality of life, reduced intensive care unit utilization, longer stays in hospice and lower overall cost of care,” said lead study author Dr. Kerin Adelson of Yale Cancer Center in New Haven, Connecticut.

Under the program tested in the study, cancer patients at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City received consultations about palliative care options if they had been hospitalized with a serious illness in the past month, had been in the hospital for at least a week during their current stay, or if they had active symptoms. Click here to read more.