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Policy Changes Key To Promoting Sustainability And Growth Of The Specialty Palliative Care Workforce.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kamal, AH; Wolf, SP; Troy, J; Leff, V; Dahlin, C; Rotella, JD; Handzo, G; Rodgers, PE; Myers, ER
Published in: Health Aff (Millwood)
June 2019

Specialized palliative care teams improve outcomes for the steadily growing population of people living with serious illness. However, few studies have examined whether the specialty palliative care workforce can meet the growing demand for its services. We used 2018 clinician survey data to model risk factors associated with palliative care clinicians leaving the field early, and we then projected physician numbers from 2019 to 2059 under four scenarios. Our modeling revealed an impending "workforce valley," with declining physician numbers that will not recover to the current level until 2045, absent policy change. However, sustained growth in the number of fellowship positions over ten years could reverse the worsening workforce shortage. There is an immediate need for policies that support high-value, team-based palliative care through expansion in all segments of the specialty palliative care workforce, combined with payment reform to encourage the deployment of sustainable teams.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Health Aff (Millwood)

DOI

EISSN

2694-233X

Publication Date

June 2019

Volume

38

Issue

6

Start / End Page

910 / 918

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Risk Factors
  • Physicians
  • Palliative Care
  • Humans
  • Hospice Care
  • Health Workforce
  • Health Services Needs and Demand
  • Health Policy & Services
  • Health Policy
  • Forecasting
 

Citation

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Kamal, A. H., Wolf, S. P., Troy, J., Leff, V., Dahlin, C., Rotella, J. D., … Myers, E. R. (2019). Policy Changes Key To Promoting Sustainability And Growth Of The Specialty Palliative Care Workforce. Health Aff (Millwood), 38(6), 910–918. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00018
Kamal, Arif H., Steven P. Wolf, Jesse Troy, Victoria Leff, Constance Dahlin, Joseph D. Rotella, George Handzo, Phillip E. Rodgers, and Evan R. Myers. “Policy Changes Key To Promoting Sustainability And Growth Of The Specialty Palliative Care Workforce.Health Aff (Millwood) 38, no. 6 (June 2019): 910–18. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00018.
Kamal AH, Wolf SP, Troy J, Leff V, Dahlin C, Rotella JD, et al. Policy Changes Key To Promoting Sustainability And Growth Of The Specialty Palliative Care Workforce. Health Aff (Millwood). 2019 Jun;38(6):910–8.
Kamal, Arif H., et al. “Policy Changes Key To Promoting Sustainability And Growth Of The Specialty Palliative Care Workforce.Health Aff (Millwood), vol. 38, no. 6, June 2019, pp. 910–18. Pubmed, doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00018.
Kamal AH, Wolf SP, Troy J, Leff V, Dahlin C, Rotella JD, Handzo G, Rodgers PE, Myers ER. Policy Changes Key To Promoting Sustainability And Growth Of The Specialty Palliative Care Workforce. Health Aff (Millwood). 2019 Jun;38(6):910–918.

Published In

Health Aff (Millwood)

DOI

EISSN

2694-233X

Publication Date

June 2019

Volume

38

Issue

6

Start / End Page

910 / 918

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Risk Factors
  • Physicians
  • Palliative Care
  • Humans
  • Hospice Care
  • Health Workforce
  • Health Services Needs and Demand
  • Health Policy & Services
  • Health Policy
  • Forecasting