title: Providing hospice care in rural areas: challenges and strategies.
abstract: Hospices in rural settings face challenges in the provision of hospice care as a result of their location and the size of their service area population. To ascertain the challenges that hospices face in serving rural communities, researchers conducted in-depth case studies of four different models of hospice care in rural areas. The authors describe strategies used by the case study hospices and recommend policies that could increase access to hospice care for rural Medicare beneficiaries and other rural residents. National initiatives to improve end-of-life care need to consider the special challenges faced by rural hospices.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center, Division of Health Services Research and Policy, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Ira S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Moscovice
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Virnig
authors.forename: Sara B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Durham
mesh_terms: D006302:Health Services Research; D006738:Hospices / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D006278:Medicare / Q000592:standards*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D011640:Public Policy; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology