The opioid crisis and hospice care: Exploring key partner experiences
Key Points
- Impact Statement: This paper contributes to the field of research focused on understanding and providing quality hospice care, which is care that aims to maximize comfort and quality of life for dying patients. The opioid crisis has led to broad developments in policies and practices to limit opioid prescribing and regulate opioid disposal and misuse and few studies have explored the impacts for hospice care. Our qualitative study of hospice stakeholders’ experiences during the crisis helps address this gap by prioritizing their perceptions of key influences shaping care and opportunities to better support providers, patients, and caregivers moving forward.
- There are a variety of ways in which hospice providers’ and patients’ experiences of hospice care have been impacted by the opioid crisis.
- These impacts indicate a need for effective strategies to mitigate opioid misuse and diversion in hospice, including for caregivers providing home-based care.
- There is also a clear and pressing need for effective policies and practices that ensure leftover opioids are safely disposed of after a patient death.
- Study insights can guide education and support for hospice providers related to new and changing laws and help inform strategies for maintaining safe and effective hospice care during public health emergencies.
Abstract
The opioid epidemic has changed policies and practices governing opioid access and use, and little is known about how these shifts may influence the delivery and experience of hospice care. To explore key partner perceptions of how the opioid crisis has shaped hospice care, we conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with hospice administrators and providers. Because of the opioid crisis, hospice partners described challenges with understanding and implementing new policies governing opioid prescribing and disposal; increased need for misuse prevention and control activities; and decreased willingness among some providers, caregivers, and patients to engage with opioids, even when critical to symptom management or directed by law. Study insights may guide education and support for providers related to new and changing laws and help inform strategies to maintain safe and effective hospice care during public health emergencies like the opioid crisis.
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