Current and future needs for hospice care: an evidence-based report
Published on: 02 January 2013
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This report provides evidence on what is known and still needs to be known about patients’ and families’ needs for hospice care towards the end of life.
The Commission into the Future of Hospice Care commissioned Cicely Saunders International to produce an evidence-based report on the future level of need for hospice care towards the end of life.
The question: ‘What are the demographics that will drive future demand for hospice care?’ The intention: to bring together what is known and identify what still needs to be known, in order to help hospices plan for the future.
The report focuses on crucial factors for hospice care planning for the future in the UK, including the most recent data on actual and projected number of deaths in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
This is followed by evidence on people’s preferences for place of care and place of death. Finally, the authors present available evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of hospice care and discuss the need for further research. Evidence-based recommendations are provided throughout the report.
This paper is part of a series of contributions to the Commission into the Future of Hospice Care. The aim of the Commission into the Future of Hospice Care is to help hospices look ahead so they can anticipate and meet the changing and growing needs of the communities they serve.
