The Business Case to Care for Persons With Serious Illness Using Home-Based and Community-Based Palliative Care

Abstract

The number of persons with serious illness in America has dramatically increased over the last half decade, while the cost for health care quadrupled. The trajectory of these chronic conditions can mean declining health, frequent emergency department visits and more hospitalizations, driving up health care costs, and reducing quality of life. Palliative care, a viable solution to reducing disease burden, improving quality of life, and decreasing costs, has been offered in hospitals for many years and is now a standard of care and practice. Palliative care can be provided while concomitantly offering disease-targeted treatment. Home-based and community-based palliative care models offer new and innovative avenues for the provision of palliative care outside the hospital walls. Definitions to differentiate between palliative care, hospice, and long-term services and support will be presented. How to make the business case for home-based or community-based palliative care will be made, with insights, resources, and tools for calculating the return on investment. The role and competencies for palliative care nurse leaders will be explored.