Changing Institutional Culture Around Hospice Using LEAN Tools to Improve Hospice Utilization in a Veteran Population.

Background: Longer hospice length of stay improves the palliation of symptoms, quality of life, and the dying process for patients and their caregivers. We used a Lean designed Rapid Improvement Event (RIE) to facilitate earlier entry into hospice.

Measures: Our primary outcome was hospice length of stay.