Prognostication in Hospice Care: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Importance of Functional Status

Predicting life expectancy and providing an end-of-life diagnosis in hospice is very challenging for most clinicians given their generally poor training for this role and limited medical education. End-of-life diagnosis alone is often used to certify hospice appropriateness. It is essential, however, to document good supporting evidence of decline and comorbidities. Functional status can be a helpful criterion prior to hospice admission and during required 90-day certifications.