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The New World of Palliative Care: State of Reform Conference

Join Barbara Flye from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network as she discusses the importance of palliative care, the challenges in ensuring access to palliative care services, and what policy makers can do to increase awareness and access. Learn about the growing numbers of cancer survivors and the issues they face in terms of pain and symptoms. Discover the benefits of palliative care in improving quality of life for patients and their loved ones. Gain insights into federal and state legislation promoting palliative care and raising awareness.

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The New World of Palliative Care: State of Reform Conference

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  1. The New World of Palliative Care State of Reform Conference January 8, 2015 Barbara Flye, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Barbara.Flye@cancer.org

  2. Today’s Presentation Understanding the patient landscape Why is palliative care so important? What issues/challenges do we face in ensuring access to palliative care services? What can policy makers do to increase awareness and access to palliative care?

  3. Patient Landscape: Cancer Survivor numbers now and looking ahead • The American Cancer Society’s 2014 Cancer Facts & Figures Statistics Report estimates: • 1.67 million new cancer cases and 585,720 cancer deaths annually • 14 million survivors now. This will jump to 18 million by 2022 • Nearly 380,000 cancer survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer • Most experience persisting pain, symptoms and stress that affect quality of life for both patient AND loved ones.

  4. What is Palliative Care? • Palliative Care… • Focuses on relieving the pain, symptoms, and stress of a serious illness – whatever the diagnosis. • The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. • It is appropriate at any age and at any stage and can be provided along with curative treatment. Definition developed through consumer research commissioned by CAPC and the Society/ACS CAN. Shareable summary of findings available at www.capc.org

  5. Why is Palliative Care Important? FACT: Treating the pain, symptoms, and stress of cancer is as important as treating the cancer.

  6. The Benefits of Palliative Care • Palliative care improves the quality of health care • Effectively relieves physical symptoms and emotional suffering • Strengthens patient-family-physician communication and decision making • Ensures well-coordinated care across health care settings

  7. Consumer Awareness about Palliative Care Data from a Public Opinion Strategies nationwide survey, June 2011

  8. Patients & Families Want Palliative Care

  9. What issues and challenges do we face? • Unprecedented growth of an aging population & ability to live longer lives with serious illnesses • Necessity to recognize & treat pain & other distressing symptoms • Many in the health care industry still confuse or frame palliative care as end-of-life care • Lack of awareness among patients with serious illness • Availability & access to culturally competent PC • Integrating PC into routine cancer care requires a fundamental shift in thinking and practice.

  10. Promoting & Raising Awareness of Palliative Care Federal legislation Patient-Centered Quality Care for Life Act (HR 1666) Palliative Care & Hospice Education and Training Act (HR 1339/S 641) State palliative care model legislation Promoting balance in federal and state pain policies For campaign information: www.acscan.org/qualityoflife

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