title: The importance of perspective: evaluation of hospice care from multiple stakeholders.
abstract: The literature on hospice care and palliative medicine lacks a focus on the combined and concurrent assessment of services. This deficiency is problematic because research findings are then limited in their scope and applicability to particular stakeholder groups. The current study used the perspective of 72 participants and service delivery personnel of a home-based hospice program to address this perceived problem and limitation in the literature through a program evaluation of the multiple perspectives on a single hospice organization. Interviews were analyzed by stakeholder group and then across stakeholder groups to extract themes. Results include a description of the quality of service delivery and participant satisfaction, areas of current weakness, and ideas for potential growth and development for the program. Findings from this study are compared with previous research on hospice care and the implications of the results to the provision and continued development of hospice care are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Services, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403, USA.
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hiatt
authors.forename: Charlie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stelle
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mulsow
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pearson Scott
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000592:standards*; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012107:Research Design; D012938:Social Perception; D015206:Southwestern United States; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology