Bill Overview
Title: Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act
Description: This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take a series of actions relating to palliative-care training. Specifically, HHS must provide support for Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. The centers must improve the training of health professionals in palliative care and establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced-education nursing degrees, social-work degrees, or advanced degrees in physician-assistant studies in palliative care. HHS may provide support to medical schools, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical-education programs for training physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. HHS must (1) provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to individuals to promote their career development, (2) support entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center, (3) support individuals in specified fields who are pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields, and (4) award grants to nursing programs to train individuals in providing palliative care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must provide for a national education and awareness campaign to inform patients, families, and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care. The National Institutes of Health must expand national research programs in palliative care.
Sponsors: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals worldwide receiving or involved with hospice and palliative care services
Estimated Size: 20000000
- The bill focuses on improving training for healthcare professionals in palliative and hospice care, which will impact medical students, nurses, physician assistants, and social workers entering these fields globally.
- Palliative care patients, expected to benefit from improved care standards due to better-trained professionals, include those with serious diseases or at end-of-life stages, thus constituting a significant portion of the global population.
- The bill also involves public education campaigns, impacting a broader audience, including families of patients and general healthcare workers worldwide.
- Considering global healthcare workforce distribution and those affected by serious illness, a wide population sees indirect benefits in terms of care quality improvements.
Reasoning
- The policy focuses on improving palliative care, impacting healthcare professionals, patients, and their families. A significant portion of the population is indirectly affected by improved healthcare standards.
- Palliative care is crucial for individuals with serious illnesses or nearing end-of-life stages, hence it primarily impacts older adults and their caretakers.
- Budget constraints mean that the policy needs to target key educational institutions and healthcare facilities, maximizing the impact with available resources.
- The education and awareness campaign will broadly target both healthcare professionals and the public to raise understanding and support for palliative care.
Simulated Interviews
Registered Nurse (New York, NY)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy sounds like a great opportunity to further my education in palliative care.
- The focus on training and awareness will definitely help improve patient care.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Medical School Professor (Austin, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More resources for teaching palliative care are always beneficial.
- I worry about the long-term sustainability of the funding.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Retired (Miami, FL)
Age: 67 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Improved palliative care training will definitely make a difference in my quality of life.
- I hope this translates to more empathetic and well-informed care.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
Social Worker (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The support for social workers pursuing advanced degrees is a great incentive.
- The more trained professionals in palliative care, the better it is for everyone.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Primary Care Physician (Denver, CO)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The awareness campaign is crucial for educating both professionals and the public.
- It's a step forward to integrate palliative care into standard practice.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Medical Student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy would provide more opportunities and incentives to pursue a career in palliative care.
- I hope to see palliative care become a recognized and rewarding field of medicine.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Hospice Patient (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 62 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's comforting to know there will be better-trained people taking care of me.
- Awareness about hospice options is important for families making tough decisions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 3 | 3 |
Healthcare Administrator (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Training and resources are critical for improving our palliative care services.
- This policy is a much-needed boost for palliative care in hospitals.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Physician Assistant (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could enhance my skills and open up advanced training opportunities.
- It's important for providing better care to our patients.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Retiree (Raleigh, NC)
Age: 65 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A national awareness campaign is essential; families often don't know what palliative care offers.
- More trained professionals can only improve patients' and families' experiences.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $75000000 (Low: $50000000, High: $100000000)
Year 2: $77500000 (Low: $51500000, High: $103000000)
Year 3: $80000000 (Low: $53000000, High: $106000000)
Year 5: $85000000 (Low: $56000000, High: $112000000)
Year 10: $90000000 (Low: $60000000, High: $120000000)
Year 100: $90000000 (Low: $60000000, High: $120000000)
Key Considerations
- Training programs require initial capital investment and long-term funding to remain effective.
- Potential overlaps with existing state and federal level programs may arise, demanding coordination.
- Balancing the immediate cost impact against potential long-term savings is essential for policy validation.
- Monitoring the performance and continuous assessment of the effectiveness of educational frameworks will be crucial.