Hospice Management Advisor Archives – April 1, 2004
April 1, 2004
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Demand for hospice climbs, but lengths of stay still low
Last February, a respected medical journal published a study that suggested non-cancer patients would be better served if they were admitted to hospice sooner. Days later, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) in Alexandria, VA, released figures showing that a record number of people received hospice care in 2002, yet one-third of hospice patients died within one week of admission. -
Target your marketing toward Baby Boomers
Educating physicians about the cost-effective, high-quality care provided by hospice is only half of the hospice marketing equation. Patients are the other half, and in many ways theyre a tougher nut to crack. -
Hospice Trends: Donors invest in you; treat them like investors
As you prepare your next fundraiser, you cant help but think: How often can we go to the same people year after year, sometimes more than once a year, before they say no more? -
Sharpen your pencils; abbreviations are disappearing
Old habits are hard to break. But the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, is asking home health nurses to break some habits theyve had since nursing school. -
Guest Column: Gifts for referrals? Know the law
Discharge planners and case managers certainly cannot accept cash payments from providers in exchange for referrals of patients. But what about non-cash items that have a relatively low value and that providers are not obligated to provide to case managers? Can case managers accept such items? -
Overcoming education hurdles takes innovation
Employees spread over a large geographic area, people who dont like sitting in one place for any length of time, patient visits that dont always follow a normal schedule, and a lengthy list of educational classes that staff members must take these are just a few of the challenges faced by home health managers as they address staff education. -
News from the End of Life
NHPCO to offer manager program; Hospital to pay $9.5M for Medicare billing issues; Two-page advance beneficiary notice gone; CMS describes HIPAA authorization form; Prescriptions blamed for dependencies.