The Hospital Based Palliative Care Consortium (HBPCC) program provides hospitals and health systems across the country with the tools and guidance to develop and implement hospital-based palliative care programs. The program provides interested hospitals and health systems with a curriculum, surveys and assessments, a day-long visit to a host hospital’s palliative care program, also known as a “learning lab,” and ongoing technical assistance and support at no charge.
Seven hospitals and health systems have been selected to participate as learning labs and are hosting site visits in 2006:
Palo Alto VA Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
Connecticut Hospice, Branford, Connecticut
Detroit Receiving Hospital, Detroit, Michigan
St. John’s Regional Health Center, Springfield, Missouri
Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Learning labs were selected based on their commitment to high quality end-of-life care and palliative care. Through sharing this commitment and success with other hospitals, learning labs will provide the support needed for hospitals to develop their own capacity to deliver hospital-based palliative care services.
The HBPCC program has three phases. During phase one, a hospital interested in establishing or further developing its palliative care program receives materials that will help its planning committee prepare for the program and evaluate their institution’s needs and goals. Educational materials illustrate the process of establishing a palliative care program and serve as the learning base for all HBPCC participants.
In phase two, palliative care teams from participating hospitals visit learning labs and have the opportunity to learn first-hand about a successfully implemented palliative care program and how to transfer that information and approaches to their own facility. In the third phase, participating hospitals will receive feedback and support as they implement their new programs. The HBPCC website provides participants with updated information, announcements, tools and resources. An electronic listserv facilitates information sharing and support among participating hospitals, learning labs, and project staff. Participating hospitals will be asked to complete additional surveys and evaluations post-program in order to measure the efficacy and success of the HBPCC.
Funding: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
hospitalconnect.com
