Emergency Departments report more consults for hospice, palliative care

Emergency Departments report more consults for hospice, palliative care 
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; by Michigan State University; 9/25/25 
One-third of Americans will visit an emergency department, or ED, within a month of their death. While EDs are primarily purposed to provide emergent care, they’re increasingly becoming an initial touchpoint for hospice and palliative care, or HPC, referrals and consultations, according to a new study from several researchers at Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences.  Why this matters:

• Emergency departments, or EDs, are becoming an initial contact for patients to get hospice and palliative care referrals and consultations when presenting to the hospital for care.
• In the five years since COVID-19, hospice and palliative care consultations in hospital emergency departments have increased over 170%, although this trend has been growing since 2000.
• Increasing access to hospice and palliative care from the ED can enhance quality of life for both patients and their families.