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October 1, 2019

Report: CT access to palliative care rising

By Joe Cooper

Palliative care, or specialized care for people suffering from serious illness, has greatly improved in Connecticut in recent years, according to a new report.

The joint findings from the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) and National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC) handed Connecticut a grade of 95.8 out of 100 for palliative care programs at local hospitals, up from a score of 84 in 2015, according to its latest state-by-state report on access to hospital palliative care.

According to the report, six Connecticut hospitals with more than 300 beds received a top score of 100 for providing access to palliative care, which includes care for illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, kidney disease or dementia.

Meantime, 22 of 23 not-for-profit hospitals in the state received a grade of 95.6. One hospital with less than 50 beds also received a grade of 100.

In total, Connecticut ranked fourth among New England states for access to palliative care, trailing Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire (100 points), and ahead of Massachusetts (90.7) and Maine (76.9). The region recorded an average score of 92.3 points.

Connecticut’s ranking in the region marks an improvement from the last report by CAPC and NPCRC in 2015, when the state ranked second to last in access to palliative care with a grade of 84.

The report said access to hospital palliative care is growing nationally, as 72 percent of U.S. hospitals with 50 or more beds provide such programs, up from 67 percent in 2015, 53 percent in 2008 and 7 percent in 2001.

Dr. Diane E. Meier, director of CAPC and co-author of the study, said increased access to palliative care is especially important now as the Baby Boomer generation (typically those born between 1946 and 1964) is contributing to a rising population of patients in need.

Nationally, 12 million adults and 400,000 children suffer from a serious illness, the report said.

"High quality palliative care has been shown to improve patient and family quality of life, improve patients' and families' healthcare experiences, and in certain diseases, prolong life.  Palliative care has been shown to improve hospital efficiency and reduce unnecessary spending," said Dr. R. Sean Morrison, director of NPCRC and another co-author of the study.

View the full report here

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