Access to outpatient palliative care: Insights from Michigan

Access to outpatient palliative care: Insights from Michigan
American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Andrew E Russell, Maria J Silveira; 4/25
Outpatient palliative care provides supportive care to community-dwelling patients with serious illness who are not eligible or ready for hospice. Little is known about the services these clinics offer and the populations they serve. We conducted a cross-sectional study of outpatient palliative care clinics in Michigan to describe their services and identify gaps in care... There is limited access to outpatient palliative care in Michigan, especially in rural communities. Many clinics do not accept non-cancer or pediatric patients. Additionally, many clinics lack the full interdisciplinary team that is required to provide robust palliative care.