End-of-Life Care and Outcomes

The AHRQ sponsors the development of technical assess. to assist org. in their efforts to improve the quality of health care. It addresses the end-of-life,Ó which refers to a prolonged, difficult period for patients & caregivers. Nine-tenths of Medicare-insured elderly live with a serious, chronic condition before death. AHRQ conducted a systematic review to evaluate: the scope of the end-of-life population; outcome variables that are valid indicators of the quality of the end-of-life experience for the dying person & surviving loved ones; patient, family, & healthcare system assoc. with better or worse outcomes at end-of-life; process & interventions assoc. with improved or worsened outcomes; & future research directions for improving end-of-life care. Illus.Lorenz, Karl is the author of 'End-of-Life Care and Outcomes', published 2005 under ISBN 9780756747794 and ISBN 0756747791.