Study Description:
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is collaborating with the Population-Based Palliative Care Research Network (PoPCRN) to develop a hospice bereavement program evaluation. As with other hospice services, the way to ensure best possible outcomes for bereavement clients is through program evaluation and quality improvement. Many hospice programs throughout the nation have been surveying individuals who have used their bereavement services. However, the content and format of these surveys vary greatly, making evaluation and comparison across hospices impracticable.
Therefore, the NHPCO has undertaken the development of a Bereavement Services Evaluation survey. The survey was designed with the assistance of survey research specialists at the University of Massachusetts and in consultation with a team of experienced hospice professionals with a high level of expertise in delivery of bereavement services in the hospice setting. The survey has undergone intense scrutiny, cognitive testing, and multiple revisions and is now ready for pilot testing. Once the survey is finalized, NHPCO will provide member access to the survey and implement online data submission and comparative reporting of results.
For more information on this study, please contact Dr. Jean Kutner.