Palliative care access varies by region despite benefits of cost and quality

Two years after the American Board of Medical Specialties officially recognized hospice and palliative care as a subspecialty, more than 1,200 U.S. hospitals have successfully implemented palliative care programs, but the services remain concentrated in certain regions, according to a new report.

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Access to palliative care varies widely by state

According to the Center for Advanced Palliative Care (CAPC), palliative care programs are being implemented at a rapid pace in U.S. hospitals, but wide geographic variation remains a barrier to equal access for patients and families. The CAPC 2008 “report card” shows that the nation gets an overall grade of C in access to hospital palliative care. Although half of the fifty states receive a grade of A or B, almost 40 percent get a grade of C, and more than 20 percent receive unacceptable grades of D and F. Only three states earn a grade of A.

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