The Struggle to Find Good Care at the End of Life
July 26, 2010 - Reports & Studies
High-quality care at the end of life is an important but elusive goal, according to a Robert Wood Johnson report offering the views of 35 experts. “Palliative programs are concentrated in leading medical centers in urban areas; spiritual needs have been trumped by clinical concerns; the needs of large groups marginalized by race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, income, and geography are too little considered; hospice is still underutilized and misunderstood; reimbursement systems are inadequate; and accepted standards for decision-making face attacks from many quarters,” according to the May 2006 report, “State Initiatives in End-of-Life Care: Issue 25: Thirty-Five Leaders Map the Future of Reform.”