ehospiceUSA, a new resource designed to help healthcare and other professionals that care for patients and families facing serious and life-limiting illness, was unveiled at the opening plenary session of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s leadership conference on April 25, 2013.
Powered by NHPCO, ehospiceUSA
is a free resource created specifically for hospice referral sources, such
as physicians, hospital discharge planners, and other professionals who will
benefit from a comprehensive understanding of the ways that hospice care will help
their patients.
“Any professional caring for or supporting patients and
families who may be appropriate for hospice will find useful information on ehospiceUSA,” said J. Donald
Schumacher, president and CEO of NHPCO.
“One of the most frequent comments we hear from the families
we care for, is that they wish they had known about hospice earlier. ehospiceUSA will help clarify what
hospice is and how it can help people, with the goal of ensuring more timely
access to the services hospice offers,” added Schumacher.
In addition to the resources for professionals, ehospiceUSA
also offers information on hospice and advance care planning that can be shared
with patients and family caregivers.
ehospice recognizes
the potential to connect people working in hospice and palliative care using
the technology available today. ehospice is available as a free iPhone
app, as well as a mobile web app, which is compatible with most modern smart
phones. There is also an updated iPad
app launching today.
In addition to ehospiceUSA,
there are 10 other country and regional editions covering the latest news,
commentary and analysis from around the world. Available editions include
England, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, India, Australia and others.
The
brainchild of the UK-based organization, Help the Hospices, the goals of ehospice are to improve patient care
through access to information, to foster a sense of community in hospice and
palliative care worldwide and to give a voice to people associated with hospice
and palliative care, whether as professionals, volunteers, patients or family
caregivers.
“ehospiceUSA does not replace the NHPCO website, rather, it’s
our hope that hospice and palliative care providers in the U.S. will share ehospiceUSA as a helpful resource with
the referral sources in their communities that might benefit from a better
understanding of how hospice works and the many benefits it would offer
patients under their care,” noted Schumacher.
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