Many hospices are looking to build or strengthen their palliative care program and for good reason. Palliative care enhances quality of life for the seriously ill and has shown to improve clinical outcomes and reduce hospital costs. It is the perfect extension of the hospice mission. In this blog, we will be looking at three primary ways that palliative care strengthens hospice care.
Better serve the patient at end-of-life.
It is such a difficult decision for many patients and families to choose hospice care because it comes with the deeper acceptance that the end of life is near. This is just one of the reasons why so many patients are admitted to hospice with such a short length of stay.
When hospices offer a palliative care program, they have the opportunity to develop relationships with the patient and family earlier in their health journey. They can better understand the disease progression and educate the patient about their resources and options. It also mitigates confusion for the patient and helps them to make informed decisions about their care; this improves the overall end-of-life experience for the patient which is central to the hospice mission.
Diversify revenue streams.
So many hospices that offer palliative care have done so for the purposes of building relationships as described above. However, many are not billing for this care because of the complexity of clinical documentation and billing. With the right electronic health records software, hospices can properly document visit type, visit complexity and the appropriate CPT codes to get reimbursed for the care they provide. When set up properly, palliative care can become a viable service line with its own stream of revenue. Not only does this support investing into more resources and programs, but it insulates the hospice from unforeseen financial hardships. By diversifying revenue streams, hospices can strengthen their overall performance and position in the market or, care continuum.
Enhance brand reputation and value in the market.
In today’s competitive market, the hospice mission alone is not enough to secure market share. Hospices must demonstrate high quality care and provide valuable programs and resources to stand out among the crowd. When hospices provide palliative care services, they are able to serve a wide scope of the seriously ill population bringing more value to referral partners. For many referral partners, this may reduce the number of contacts and the amount of coordination making it more efficient for their office. It also simplifies the conversation and care journey for the patient making it a win-win-win for all. When hospices can offer expanded programs and resources, demonstrate high satisfaction scores, and communicate this level of value to referral partners, they build a strong brand in the market and pave the way for continued growth.
Palliative care services strengthen the hospice mission of serving patients better while enhancing business performance, securing revenue, and enhancing brand reputation. One of the biggest challenges most hospices face with implementing such a program is how to pay for it. The key is setting up the right structure, training staff on clinical documentation, billing specific to palliative care, improving efficiency with strong software, and closely monitoring the right metrics.
Download our free guide, Seven Essential Steps to Building a Thriving Palliative Care Program.
Also request a FREE discovery call to Understand Palliative Care Program Viability. We use a data-driven approach to pinpoint where you may be at risk and to determine the degree to which a palliative care program may support and strengthen your hospice performance.
About Curantis Solution
Curantis Solutions was founded on a desire to put Hospice and Palliative care first. We are dedicated to radically transforming standard electronic health records into an intuitive user experience. Our solution guides care delivery, promotes interdisciplinary coordination, simplifies billing, and serves up powerful analytics to elevate performance. We serve clients across the spectrums of size, geography, and business focus with a consistent mission to improve end-of-life care.
Discover the first palliative care software to fully integrate the advanced care planning documentation practices of hospice with the visit complexity, time, CPT codes and KPIs of palliative care to deliver a comprehensive solution for elevating program performance.
