ACHC launches Palliative Care Accreditation
By HME News Staff
Updated 10:02 AM CDT, Tue April 20, 2021
CARY, N.C. – The Accreditation Commission for Health Care is launching a Palliative Care Accreditation program to advance quality of care and improve patient outcomes in this growing field of health care. Although it’s more traditionally viewed as end-of-life hospice care, palliative care is expanding to include specialized services for all patients with serious illnesses, regardless of their age or prognosis, ACHC says. “Palliative care is emerging as an effective way to help seriously ill patients address symptoms and maximize their quality of life,” said Barbara Provini, a program manager for ACHC. “It is quickly spreading from hospital-based care to outpatient community-based providers, offering more options for patients. Achieving accreditation enables palliative care programs to certify they are providing safe, quality care backed by national standards.” ACHC says its standards, which were based on the National Consensus Project Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, focus on industry best practices. For home health, hospice and private duty providers accredited by ACHC, a distinction in palliative care is also an option.
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