Strengthening our understanding of how we define quality in hospice care

摘要

Hospices have often prided themselves on providing high-quality care for the people who use their services. Evidence exists that the experience of hospice care is positive for those who receive it (Department of Health (DH), 2012), however, more work is needed on how we define quality in hospice care. A report published last year by the Commission into the Future of Hospice Care (Help the Hospices, 2013) recommended that hospices needed to strengthen the understanding of their unique contribution to supporting people with life-limiting conditions, their families and the communities they live in. The National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence (NICE) has developed a quality standard for end-of-life care (NICE, 2011) and the NHS National Quality Board has provided guidelines on quality (DH, 2013). However, there is still a pressing need for a hospice-sector-specific framework.