Ambulatory Series: Palliative Care vs. Hospice

Host/Editor: Dr. Alla Turshudzhyan, Chief Medical Resident at UCONN. Understanding the difference between palliative care and hospice is crucial. Many patients and their families equate palliative care with end-of-life care. Palliative care focuses on symptom management and unlike hospice, it is provided based on patient’s needs, not based on prognosis. Palliative care is frequently done along with a curative therapy. In contrast with palliative care, hospice is a highly regulated Medicare benefit that is prognosis dependent and only applies to patients with survival prognosis of less than six months. Primary care providers can refer directly to hospice and can even function as a medical director on the case if they choose to do so. Lastly, keep an eye out for caregiver burn out and refer families to hospice or palliative care social worker for local resources available. Thank you for listening.