Hospice Information for Physicians
Should Your Patient Be Referred to Hospice Care?
- Would you be surprised if your patient was alive six months from now?
- Is your patient (and his/her family) willing to forego curative treatment and opt instead for comfort care? Radiation and Chemotherapy can be considered palliative.
- Are you (or another physician) willing to continue to care for the patient under hospice?
- St. John Hospice service area is 50 mile radius—we will refer to another hospice if outside our area
- Patient does not need a DNR
- Patient does not need an Advance Directive.
- Patient does not need a primary caregiver. If no caregiver is available, we will work with patient to develop appropriate living conditions.
Referral Guidelines
Guidelines for admission to inpatient hospice care
Referral Guidelines for Non-Cancer Diagnoses
Hospice Referral Guidelines for Non-Cancer Diagnoses
Non-Specific Terminal Illness (Debility Unspecified)
Neurological Disorders (Parkinson's, Huntington's Muscular Dystrophy, MS, Myasthenia Gravis)
Tools and Assessment Scales
Body Mass Index Table
Palliative Performance Scale
Karnofsky Functional Rating Scale
Braden Risk Assessment Scale
New York Heart Association Functional Classification
Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) Scale
Physicians may access the Home Health physician information guide for policies and procedures information.
