The Palliative Care State Policy GPS: A New Tool to Track State Policies on Palliative Care (W225C)

Objectives 1. Compare recent palliative care state policies adopted by different states. 2. Assess the transferability of other states' palliative care policies to a provider's own state. Original Research Background In the United States, there are significant opportunities to advance palliative care (PC) access and quality at the state level. Recently, there has been a rise in PC policies, many of which have stemmed from increased state-level advocacy by palliative care champions. Research Objectives In collaboration with the Center to Advance Palliative Care, the Palliative Care State Policy GPS was created to support research on palliative care policy and to encourage policy innovation aimed at ameliorating disparities in access and reforming palliative care quality and education. Methods Three individuals searched LexisNexis and state health departments with search terms including "palliative care," "home care," "home and community-based services," and "pain management" to find enacted and pending policies that affect PC for each state. The database will be automatically updated with new legislation and regulations by periodic input of our search terms into a search function on Westlaw. Results Preliminary data have been collected for thirteen states, the U.S. territories, and the Indian Health Service. The database is expected to be publicly accessible by November 1, 2020. Current data shows heterogeneity among states regarding PC policy. Some states, such as New York, have been active in legislating around PC, while other states and territories have lagged. In 2019 and 2020, 56 state laws and regulations have been enacted or proposed in seven states (New York, Utah, Texas, Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon, and Vermont). Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged policymaking in telemedicine and expansion of the PC workforce, both of which have positive implications for PC. Conclusion and Implications for Research, Policy, or Practice The creation of the Palliative Care State Policy GPS is critical to understanding how states are adopting PC policies over time, identifying barriers to policy adoption, and developing strategies to improve quality and access to PC.