Publications by authors named "Hilary Griffin"
Article Synopsis
- * Out of 17,033 Veterans analyzed, 723 (4%) had short terminal admissions, often leading to fewer VA hospitalizations and increased likelihood of dying in intensive care or acute care units compared to those with longer admissions.
- * Veterans with short stays were significantly less likely to receive hospice (33% vs. 64%) or palliative care (33% vs. 69%), indicating a need for improved end-of-life care strategies for this vulnerable population, particularly for those with serious conditions like cancer.
Background: In federal response to the aging population of Vietnam-era Veterans, Congress directed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to create a pilot program to identify and develop best practices for improving hospice care for this population. A first step in VA's response was to identify whether the end-of-life (EOL) care needs and outcomes of Vietnam-era Veterans differed from previous generations.
Methods: Using medical records and bereaved family surveys, we examined clinical characteristics, healthcare utilization, and EOL quality indicators for Vietnam-era Veterans who died in VA inpatient settings between fiscal year 2013-2017.
End-Of-Life Care in the Time of COVID-19: Communication Matters More Than Ever.
J Pain Symptom Manage
August 2021
Context: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in visitation restrictions across most health care settings, necessitating the use of remote communication to facilitate communication among families, patients and health care teams.
Objective: To examine the impact of remote communication on families' evaluation of end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Retrospective, cross-sectional, mixed methods study using data from an after-death survey administered from March 17-June 30, 2020.
Background/objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in rapid changes to end-of-life care for hospitalized older adults and their families, including visitation restrictions. We examined bereaved families' perceptions of the quality of end-of-life communication among Veterans, families and staff in Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design: Qualitative descriptive study using data from a survey of bereaved family members of Veterans administered from March-June 2020.