As hospices are already aware, CMS and Abt Associates are currently testing a draft standardized hospice patient assessment instrument called Hospice Outcomes & Patient Evaluation (HOPE). CMS has decided to expand the HOPE Beta Test, and Abt Associates are seeking additional Medicare-certified providers to start training and data collection in late January or early February. Data collection will continue at least through July 2022.
The Abt team will recruit hospices on a rolling basis until they have reached the desired sample size, until January 20, 2022.
Abt is seeking mid-to-large size hospices with sufficient registered nurse, social worker and chaplain staffing to conduct joint visits to complete in-person assessments with some of their patients in addition to usual care. This flyer explains the joint visits and may be helpful for hospices to review as they consider participation.
Medicare-certified hospice providers in any state are eligible to participate, but Abt is interested especially in recruiting hospices from states where there is currently no participants, listed (alphabetically) here:
- Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming.
More than one hospice branch/office in one organization may participate.
Hospice providers interested in participating should email the Abt HOPE Testing team at HOPETesting@abtassoc.com and provide their: Hospice name, mailing address and CCN; and a Contact name, email address and phone number.
Jennifer Riggs, PhD RN is the HOPE Testing Lead for Abt Associates. Email HOPETesting@abtassoc.com with any questions.