Variation in specialist palliative care reach and associated factors among people with advanced heart failure in the Department of Veterans Affairs

Variation in specialist palliative care reach and associated factors among people with advanced heart failure in the Department of Veterans Affairs
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Shelli L Feder, Ling Han, Yan Zhan, Erica A Abel, Kathleen M Akgün, Terri Fried, Mary Ersek, Nancy S Redeker; 7/24
Clinical practice guidelines recommend palliative care for people with advanced heart failure (aHF), yet it remains underutilized. We examined medical center variation in specialist palliative care (SPC) and identified factors associated with variation among people with aHF... SPC reach varies widely across VAMCs for people with aHF. Outpatient palliative is common among high-reach VAMCsbut its role in reach warrants further investigation. Strategies used by high-reach VAMCs may be potential targets to test for implementation and dissemination.