Hospice is not “only” end-life-care

Arif Kamal shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Hospice is not “only” end-life-care.

It is life-affirming, quality of life-promoting, 360 degree-supporting, there-when-you-need-them, care. Words cannot do justice to the life-changing care provided by hospices to 1.7 million persons annually.

The recent news of President Jimmy Carter reaching his 100th birthday, all while on hospice for over a year, is tremendous.

And the potential life-prolonging benefits of hospice are not a surprise, and maybe first shown in the literature by my friend Stephen Connor, PhD and colleagues at NHPCO Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

For the people in the back, being on hospice does not shorten life, and may in fact give you more days.”

Comparing hospice and nonhospice patient survival among patients who die within a three-year window

Authors: Stephen R Connor, Bruce Pyenson, Kathryn Fitch, Carol Spence and Kosuke Iwasaki.

Arif Kamal is the first-ever Chief Patient Officer for the American Cancer Society and drives efforts to advance cancer care. With experience at Duke University and the Duke Cancer Institute, he is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Population Health. He is also a Co-Founder of Prepped Health. Dr. Kamal’s expertise lies in oncology quality assessment, palliative care, and innovative technology solutions for patient engagement.