Evaluation of Telehealth Palliative Care Programs Across Selected SC Hospitals

Project Overview

The palliative care program provides timely and effective consultations via telehealth, providing opportunities to discuss code status and goals of care, facilitate care planning and appropriate patient disposition. Consultations for palliative care (CPC) can effectively reduce patient suffering, decrease family distress, improve provider communication, and reduce cost of futile intervention to hospitals and insurers. CPCs are often covered by insurers for people with serious medical illness or terminal conditions, yet they remain underutilized. The COE seeks to rigorously evaluate the impacts of telehealth-delivered, CPC programs systemwide.