Recommendations for palliative care program standards

Recommendations for palliative care program standards 
Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC); last updated 5/29/25
CAPC has synthesized the NCP Guidelines into an operational summary for payers and policymakers to use in credentialing palliative care providers or informing minimum program requirements. These recommendations call for: an interdisciplinary team with 3 or more essential clinical disciplines: physician, advance practice provider, nurse, social worker, spiritual care professional and a child life specialist for programs serving children. One or more prescribers must have specialty certification in palliative care with others documenting some specialty training. PC services must include Comprehensive patient assessments, Pain and symptom management, Documented conversations about condition, treatment options, and goals of care, Psychological, social and spiritual support, Patient and family/caregiver education, and Coordination with behavior health and community health resources, and Development of a crisis intervention plan. The recommendations also specify 24/7 access to a prescribing clinician, clear discharge criteria, and routine evaluations of program quality.
Guest Editor's Note, Ira Byock: These new recommendations from CAPC are timely and important. Building from the NCP Guidelines, CAPC is providing a framework for developing formal standards. That task is urgent given the pressures programs are under to reduce staffing, limit hours of service, and scope of services. I appreciate inclusion of crisis intervention planning, which should be a critical part of every palliative plan of care. The recommendations are strong, yet the statement’s wording is hesitant in tone. CAPC has the organizational stature to issue explicit minimum specifications for programs that purport to deliver palliative care. Health plans, payers, referring providers, and patients deserve assurance that such minimums are met or exceeded. CAPC has taken a significant step in the right direction.