title: Better outcomes, lower costs: palliative care program reduces stress, costs of care for children with life-threatening conditions.
abstract: This policy brief examines the Partners for Children (PFC) program--California's public pediatric community-based palliative care benefit to children living with life-threatening conditions and their families. Preliminary analysis of administrative and survey data indicates that participation in the PFC program improves quality of life for the child and family. In addition, participation in the program resulted in a one-third reduction in the average number of days spent in the hospital. Shifting care from a hospital setting to in-home community-based care resulted in cost savings of $1,677 per child per month on average--an 11% decrease in spending on a traditionally high-cost population. As the three-year pilot program draws to an end, policymakers are considering the advisability of extending the program beyond the 11 counties that now participate. This policy brief provides recommendations that policymakers, families and advocates should consider to ensure sustainability and successful expansion of the program
authors.affiliation: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors.forename: Daphna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gans
authors.forename: Gerald F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Kominski
authors.forename: Dylan H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Roby
authors.forename: Allison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Diamant
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wenjiao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hohe
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D002648:Child; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000379:methods*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D005192:Family Health; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000191:economics; D018575:Home Care Services, Hospital-Based / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000191:economics*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000191:economics*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013315:Stress, Psychological