Hospice is a very important part of community health, but it is often an underutilized service in the community. Why do you think that is the case? As a hospital or clinic CEO, how would you address an underutilization problem with hospice services in your own community?

Answer 1

People and their relatives do not like to admit they won't live very long. Somehow, calling in hospice, they believe, will speed up their deaths. They also think (rightly in some cases) that they can't continue medical treatment if they're in hospice care.

One solutions used by some hospice chapters is to assist a person who is undergoing medical treatment, like for cancer.