Got a serious illness? Think about moving to Vermont

[M_Smith]

Got a serious illness? Think about moving to Vermont
[SIZE=-1] U.S. hospitals often lead the world in providing innovative, life-prolonging treatments for cancer and other serious illnesses. But when it comes to adequately caring for the individual behind the illness, many hospitals aren't making the grade. According to a new report (links to PDF), U.S. hospitals get a C overall for how they care for the sickest patients.
The report provides the first state-by-state look at the availability of palliative care programs within hospitals. Palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life of seriously ill patients and their families. It typically involves a team of doctors, nurses and social workers who strive to improve patients' comfort, coordinate their care, and provide counseling and support for patients and their families. Identifying each patient's goals and wishes is also key, as this can help prevent overly aggressive treatment that may not improve the patient's lifespan or quality of life. Palliative care programs are open to anyone with a serious illness, regardless of their age or prognosis. Unlike hospice programs, they do not focus just on end-of-life care.
The good news is that the number of palliative care programs nationwide has more than doubled in the last five years, but some states still lag far behind others. The new report graded each state based on its percentage of medium and large hospitals with palliative care programs. If you'd like to see how your state rates, you can visit the report's interactive map.
Some highlights:

• Nearly half of the 50 states received an A or B, meaning that at least 61 percent of hospitals had palliative care programs. Nearly 40 percent earned a C (41 percent to 60 percent had programs). And more than 20 percent received a D or F (40 percent or less had programs).
• The top-rated state was Vermont, with 100 percent of hospitals providing palliative care. It was followed by Montana (88 percent) and New Hampshire (85 percent).
• Three states, all southern, earned F grades: Oklahoma (19 percent), Alabama (16 percent) and Mississippi (10 percent).
• Overall, hospitals in the South and Northeast were much less likely to offer palliative care than hospitals in the Midwest, where 65 percent had programs.
• Nationwide, only 41 percent of public hospitals provided palliative care. This is notable, as these hospitals are often the only option for the 47 million people who lack health insurance.

What you need to know. Palliative care is still a fairly new branch of medicine and not available everywhere. If you have a serious illness, you may need to actively lobby to have it included in your treatment plan. The report's authors offer this advice for getting the best care possible.

• Ask to be referred to a palliative care specialist.
• Find out which hospitals in your area offer palliative care programs by visiting the Palliative Care Directory of Hospitals.
• Make sure your doctor (or doctors) and your family caregivers know that you want palliative care specialists to be part of your medical team.
• If your hospital doesn't offer palliative care, consider writing to the hospital CEO and your state and federal representatives to ask that palliative care become an integral part of your hospital's services.

?Sophie Ramsey, patient editor, BMJ Group
ConsumerReportsHealth.org has partnered with The BMJ Group to monitor the latest medical research and assess the evidence to help you decide which news you should use.
Read our full report on conservative vs. aggresive hospital care and find out how your hospital measures up with our Compare Hospitals tool, and check out our tips on how to get better care.
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