Correspondent: Roosa Tikkanen, the Commonwealth Fund
To reduce variation in and improve the quality of end-of-life care, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare has rolled out six quality measures. The measures were introduced following the release of data showing large variation in palliative care quality across the country. The six measures were drafted by an expert group comprising health administrators, medical experts, and patient group representatives. The quality indicators set expectations for the percentage of patients to be assessed for oral health, pain management, use of opioid painkillers and anxiety medications, pressure sores, and physician discussions about end-of-life decisions. Progress toward meeting the new goals will be carried out in the next two to four years.
