Poster – Evaluation of Strategies to Enhance Hospice Patient and Family’s Knowledge
and Confidence of Commonly Used Medications
Abby Stevens, PharmD1,2, Ryan Costantino PharmD, MS, BCPS, BCGP1, Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, MA, MDE, BCPS1
1 University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 2 MedStar Health
Background:
Approximately 50% of the patient deaths of those enrolled in hospice care in 2018, died at home.1
• Twenty-three percent of informal caregivers (IFC) caring for patients in home hospice agreed it is difficult to decide which
analgesic to give, and 21% agreed it is difficult to decide what dose of analgesic medication to administer.2
• The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) hospice survey is distributed by the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to informal caregivers after the death of a hospice patient to evaluate eight domains of
care: communication with family, getting timely help, treating patient with respect, emotional and spiritual support, help for
pain and symptoms, training family to care for patient, rating of the hospice, willingness to recommend the hospice.3
• Infographics provide complex information to various audiences in an easy to comprehend format with the use of pictures and
images.4
Keywords: hospice, caregiver, patient, family, palliative medicine, palliative care
Presentation Slide Handout: Poster Presentation PDF
DOI: 10.5055/bupe.21.pp.0095
References:
1. NHPCO Facts and Figures 2020 Edition. National Hospice and Palliative
Care Organization. 2020 Aug 20.
2. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2004;27(2):114-124.
3. CAHPS® Hospice Survey | CMS. Accessed April 11, 2021.
4. Chin Med J (Engl). 2018;131(20):2514-2517.