{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.028751123090745734, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.223463687150838, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Utilization review in a hospice program.

Today's economic climate mandates utilization review (UR) as a financial necessity. This is especially true for agencies that seek reimbursement from third party payors and/or Medicare. Additionally, documentation of a functional UR program is now required by many state licensing and accreditation bureaus, including the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH). (See Addendum A.) The hospice UR program presented here was designed to meet accreditation standards, yet be meaningful and simple to execute. Both health care providers and lay consumers have successfully used this program. Cognizant that program development can be lengthy and time-consuming, Hope Hospice invites its sister hospices to adopt/adapt any part(s) of this UR program. We believe that by sharing this tool and any further refinements that may be made on it, our colleagues might be spared the trouble of "reinventing the wheel." Hopefully, this might enable more attention to be focused where it belongs: delivering excellent, humane care to families living with terminal illness.