CHICAGO, July 25, 2011—Death beat life to win Modern Healthcare's Big Impact Tournament. By a nearly 3-to-1 margin, Hospice Care defeated the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as the one person, event, organization or innovation that had the biggest impact on the healthcare delivery system over the past 35 years. The final score was 1,968 to 682.
Hospice Care, a No. 12 seed in the Innovations region, is a widely embraced model for compassionate care for people facing a terminal illness. Hospice, and closely related palliative care, involves a team-oriented approach to medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support tailored to the individual patient's needs and wishes. Involvement from the patient's family also plays a key role. In many cases, hospice care is provided in the patient's home, usually the patient's preferred setting. Hospice care also is provided in freestanding hospice centers, hospitals, nursing homes and other long-term-care facilities.