Belmont’s management faculty published an article in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AJHPM). Their article is titled “Revisiting Perceptions of Quality of Hospice Care: Managing for the Ultimate Referral.” The authors of the article include Dr. Richard Churchman, Dr. Stan York, Dr. Beth Woodard, Dr. Chuck Wainwright and Dr. Mary Rau-Foster.
Hospice services provided in the final months of life are delivered through complex interpersonal relationships between caregivers, patients and families. Often, service value and quality are defined by these interpersonal interactions. This understanding provides hospice leaders with an enormous opportunity to create processes that provide the optimal level of care during the last months of life. This article argues that the ultimate referral is attained when a family member observes the care of a loved one, and the family member conveys a desire to receive the same quality of services their loved one received at that facility. This article provides evidence that supports the methods to ultimately enhance the patient’s and family’s experience and increase the potential for the ultimate referral.
The AJHPM is a peer-reviewed journal, published eight times a year. In 30 years of publication, AJHPM has highlighted the interdisciplinary team approach to hospice and palliative medicine as related to the care of the patient and family. With changes in health care, aging of the population and the chronicity of a wide array of diseases, AJHPM provides a stimulating and educational forum to maintain relevance in the field of hospice and palliative medicine.
