Nurse Practitioner−led Intensive Outpatient Team: Effects on End-of-life Care

Abstract

In order to enhance care for high-risk patients, many health systems are implementing intensive outpatient programs, often with advanced practice nurses taking the lead. We sought to examine the effects of 1 such nurse practitioner−led program on end-of-life care for patients in the Veterans Affairs health care system. Patients enrolled in the intensive program had higher rates of hospice referral (74%) compared with patients enrolled in standard primary care (44%) (P= .025). Nurse practitioner−led intensive outpatient primary care may increase hospice referrals for high-risk patients near end-of-life.