Documenting hospice care: critical factor for future acceptance.

Abstract

Hospicecareis coming to the endof its seconddecadein this country.We’ve seenincredible growth—fromoneNational CancerInstitutesponsored demonstrationprojectin 1973 to morethan 1,500programs today. Yet, much of theAmerican public, andafrighteningly high percentageof healthprofessionals,arenot yetawareof hospice.And many of those who havebeenintroducedto hospicedo not acceptit as a legitimatepart of theAmerican healthcaresystem.Until hospice is acceptedinto themainstreamof Americanhealth care, frustrationwill continue to grow amonghospicecaregiversandprogramswill continue to faceseeminglyendless fiscal crises. Hospicecaregiversgive extraordinarilyof themselves. Theyare skilled, compassion-