Palliative Care and the Patient: Pain and Symptom Management, Patient and Family Satisfaction, and Stay Length and Government Burden

This project involves raising awareness and expanding the palliative care program at HSHS St. John's Hospital and other hospitals within Hospital Sisters Health System. Expanding the program—so each system hospital has its own palliative care program—will improve patient safety and satisfaction, improve continuity of care, and decrease utilization and government burden. The palliative care team at St. John's Hospital is in the process of educating all HSHS hospitals about the need and the potential impact of having their own palliative care program, as well as providing guidance through the implementation stages.

St. John's Hospital has three groups of care providers. The palliative care physician is employed by the health care system administering the program, so expanding services across the other two provider groups will decrease the average length of stay for all patients and improve patient satisfaction and safety for the palliative care population.

This case study is part of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association's annual Quality Excellence Achievement Awards. Each year, IHA recognizes and celebrates the achievements of Illinois hospitals and health systems in continually improving and transforming health care in the state. These organizations are improving health by striving to achieve the Triple Aim—improving the patient experience of care (including quality and satisfaction), improving the health of populations, and reducing the per capita cost of health care—and the Institute of Medicine's six aims for improvement—safe, effective, patient centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. To learn more, visit https://www.ihaqualityawards.org/javascript-ui/IHAQualityAward/