title: Improving the way we die: a coorientation study assessing agreement/disagreement in the organization-public relationship of hospices and physicians.
abstract: The movement to reform dying in America promotes hospice as a model for change. Yet terminally ill patients increasingly are closer to death when they enter some 3,300 hospices. Hospice leaders blame physicians for delaying referrals and charge that delays cause hardships for their organizations and patients. Based on symmetrical theory and the coorientation model, a survey of one Southern hospice and its referring physicians was conducted to measure agreement, perceived agreement, and accuracy between the two sides on the issue of timely referral. Results showed that hospice leaders inaccurately perceive a high degree of disagreement when they and physicians generally agree on the issue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Relations, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-8400, USA. kskelly@jou.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Kathleen S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Waters
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003625:Data Collection; D006738:Hospices; D006801:Humans; D010820:Physicians; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D014481:United States