Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Hospice: The National Home and Hospice Care Survey: United States, 2007

This report from the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, presents national estimates on the provision and use of complementary and alternative therapies (CAT) in hospice. Comparisons of organizational characteristics of hospice care providers are presented by whether the provider offered CAT. Comparisons of selected characteristics of patients discharged from hospice are presented by whether they received care from a provider that offered CAT, and whether they received a CAT service. Estimates are based on data from the 2007 National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.

In 2007, 41.8% of hospice care providers offered CAT services, had a CAT provider on staff or under contract, or both. Among hospice care providers offering CAT, over one-half offered massage (71.7%), supportive group therapy (69.0%), music therapy (62.2%), pet therapy (58.6%), or guided imagery or relaxation (52.7%). Of the hospice care providers that offered CAT, 21.5% had at least one discharged hospice patient who received CAT during hospice care. Overall, 4.9% of all discharged hospice patients received at least one CAT from the hospice care provider. Over one-half of discharged patients (56.5%) received care from a provider that offered CAT, and of those, 8.6% received at least one CAT from the hospice care provider during their stays. There were no differences in demographics, health, functional status, or admission diagnoses between patients discharged from hospice either by whether they received care from a provider that offered CAT or whether they received CAT