Barriers to Patients Receiving Palliative Care/ Hospice Care (Essay Sample)

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Nursing DD MM YYYY Barriers to Patients Receiving Palliative Care/Hospice Care Patients suffering from chronic diseases such as advanced cancer, together with their friends and families often encounter logistical and clinical, hospice care avails holistic and interdisciplinary care that meets patients’ psychosocial, biomedical, and spiritual needs. Regardless of the increasingly wide acceptance of both palliative and hospice care for patients, they are rarely employed prior to critical illness as the most efficient methods of implementation are not well-defined. Ongoing misconceptions have resulted in underuse of stems regarding both palliative and hospice care. In addition, the rapid development of alternative treatment measures that are revolutionizing the medical world limit the extent to which palliative and hospice care can be administered effectively. Restructuring care measures aimed at availing the best care for patients suffering from chronic diseases is paramount in any healthcare situation. Understanding the structure and impact of both palliative and hospice care among patients is important in limiting the barriers hampering these care measures. Institutional and clinical barriers to palliative care are among the most critical challenges that are faced by both patients and physicians. According to Ufere et al., (2019), limited reimbursement from the time spent in providing palliative care and insufficient recognition by other colleagues on the importance of palliative care are important barriers to patients receiving palliative care (5). Underutilization of palliative care while disregarding its importance in availing patients with quality care negatively impacts its administration. Failure to recognize the primary role of palliative care among patients with chronic diseases makes it extremely difficult for physicians to appreciate and administer such care to their patients (Steiner et al., 4). Additionally, psychological distress of staff providing palliative care can also pose as a challenge to patients receiving palliative care (Eng Koon Ong et al., 594). Care givers may also suffer from psychological distress when dealing with patients, consequently hampering/hindering patients’ capacity to receive effective palliative care. In addition, among the barriers to hospice care, some patients and their families may misperceive hospice as the relinquishment of hope through a restrictive or permanent care option. According to Patel et al., (2020), insufficiency in hospice knowledge hinders individuals’ perception of what is entailed in hospice care and its importance to patients (804). Most individuals are unaware that hospice care continues supporting the patient’s family even after the patient’s death. Without adequate information regarding hospice care and its importance to both the patient and their family, varied misconceptions on the same make it difficult for physicians to effectively administer hospice care (Steiner et al., 4). Moreover, inadequate or late communication of care preferences among caregivers, patients, and clinicians may delay hospice use (Patel et al., 804). When providers fail in initiating goals-of-care conversations at an early stage of the illness, it hampers the possibility for patients to receive effective hospice care. In dealing with the barriers to palliative and hospice care, first patients and caregivers must be adequately informed about their end-of-life care options and be actively engaged in the decision-making process (Patel et al., 806). This is critical in helping both patients and caregivers to have a clear scope of which care measure they can choose and adhere to. In addition, regulations aimed at addressing caregivers’ reimbursements while availing pallia...