Timing of hospice referral and families' perceptions of services: are earlier hospice referrals better?

摘要: Objectives: To determine whether families of patients who enroll in hospice near the end life believe that they receive less benefit from services than earlier. Design: Semistructured interviews at time enrollment and 1 month after patient's death. Setting: This study was conducted Hospice Lancaster County, Lancaster, PA, over a 12-month period spanning 2003–2004. Participants: First-time admissions. Measurements: Interviews assessed anticipated helpfulness six (enrollment interviews) actual same (follow-up interviews). Results: Length stay associated with families' reports number provided (Spearman rho=0.34, P<.001), mean ratings for were although even short lengths stay, most reported received those helpful. Conclusion: These results indicate feel greater benefits longer hospice. Future efforts to define an “optimal” length should consider patients' perceptions offers.