The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2023 Hospice Information Gathering Report from Abt Associates which supports further hospice quality development efforts by reviewing available resources each year. This is the fifth report since 2019. Literature from 2023 suggests that hospice quality still has room for improvement, specifically in the areas of symptom management, medication deprescribing, and hospice patients with dementia.
Of interest to non-profit providers, evidence suggests that patients receiving care in the home have a better care experience than patients that received hospice in other settings. Hospice services provided by non-profit hospices, or hospices in states where hospice growth is regulated, were associated with better quality outcomes. Reviewers found few studies on novel quality measures or treatment approaches. The only studies identified in the report were for the Healthy Days at Home measure study and studies associating physical activity with improved symptoms.
