Date of Award
Summer 2024
Document Type
DNP Executive Summary
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Family Nurse Practitioner
Department
Nursing
Faculty Chair
Dr. Megan Moore, DNP, CRNP, FNP-C, ENP-C
Preceptor
Dr. Jason Junkins, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Mentor
Amanda Clement, RN, MSN
Abstract
Background: When hospice patients experience a symptomatic crisis at the end of life, unmanaged symptoms can lead to unwanted hospitalizations and the revocation of their hospice benefits. Strategies to reduce the incidents of hospice revocation are needed to improve patient care and quality of life.
Purpose: The quality improvement project aimed to reduce hospice revocation rates by implementing comfort medication kits in eligible hospice patients’ homes.
Methods: The project’s intervention included identifying patients at high risk for revocation, patients with a cancer diagnosis, and patients with a prognosis of two weeks or less. Comfort medication kits were placed in the home. Data regarding patients who qualified for comfort medication kits was tracked over eight weeks.
Results: Fifty-six hospice patients qualified for the home medication kits. There was a statistically significant decrease in revocation rates for patients with comfort medication kits placed in their homes (p = 0.041). The revocation rate of the qualifying patient group was 8%. The overall agency revocation rate decreased to 20% versus a prior annual revocation rate of 29% in 2023.
Conclusion: The implementation of comfort medication kits in hospice patients’ homes positively impacts the reduction of hospice revocations.
Recommended Citation
Parker, Brandi J., "The Implementation of Comfort Medication Kits in Hospice Patients’ Homes to Reduce Hospice Revocations" (2024). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 118.
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/etds_nursing/118
DNP Project Poster
Parker DNP Slide Presentation.pdf (1114 kB)
DNP Slide Presentation