Hospice Team Meetings and Caregivers (Video 2:25 mins.)

Many traditional hospice team meetings do not include caregivers. Much discussion has been generated regarding whether this practice is beneficial or not. Research at the University of North Texas assessed hospice team meetings with and without the presence of caregivers. This was done by videotaping both kinds of meetings. An analysis comparing them had these results:

Team meetings with participating caregivers had

1) better team outcomes.

2) more patient-centered goals.

3) increased discussion of biopsychosocial problems.

4) interdisciplinary care plans occurring more often.

These research findings on hospice team meetings indicate that having caregivers present at hospice team meetings adds significant benefits that can positively impact patient care.

Family caregivers provide almost 80% of caregiving in America. This

video addresses concerns of caregivers with hospice patients.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes

Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog

Hospice Team Meetings and Technology

Hospice services are a team effort. By law, hospice agencies must deliver services using an interdisciplinary approach to patient care. As technology evolves and becomes more accessible, it can play a larger and more beneficial role in the implementation of hospice teamwork. How effectively have hospice teams been using technology to address challenges faced at interdisciplinary team meetings?

In a study reported in the “International Journal of Electronic Healthcare,” 190 representatives of hospice agencies were surveyed by phone regarding the level of technology use in hospice Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) meetings. Survey results indicate that hospice team meetings often do not incorporate technology, even when it could be beneficial. Over half of the participants did not include computers at meetings, even though computers could help them access patient records and medication lists for designing care plans. Technology can better serve hospice agencies if they use it more to enhance the social and product functions of the group process at their team meetings.

You can read more here about this study on technology and hospice team meetings.

Frances Shani Parker, Author
"Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes”
“Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog”