Bereavement Professional

Hello,

I am wondering what tools or methods you use to measure the effectiveness of the routine mailings and phone calls you provide to bereaved hospice family and friends?

My hospice had used the FEBS but it was determined that was not an effective/cost-effective tool and have discontinued its use. We currently send a CAHPS hospice survey to the PCG roughly 6 weeks after the patient's death and we send a survey to our counseling clients following the termination of their counseling sessions. However we are currently not using a tool to assess the effectiveness of our supportive bereavement mailings and/or supportive phone calls. Anecdotally, I know many people appreciate these offerings however we should rely on a larger sample of input or data to maximize our efforts with this process.

Additionally, do any of you use email instead of snail mail to send supportive communications to your hospice bereaved families? If so, I wonder how you implemented that.

Thanks so much.

We use HCHB, and I really like it!  It offers prompts for when to send letters, and each of the letters is customizable.  I usually handwrite the letters on cards rather than printing them on letterhead, for a more personal touch.  I also handwrite the client's address on the envelope.  For the more important letters, such as the family satisfaction survey, which is sent one month after the patient's death, I follow up by phone one week after sending the letter to be sure that the client has received the mailing.  This usually works well.  We get an 80% return rate on the surveys.

We use HCHB, and I really like it!  It offers prompts for when to send letters, and each of the letters is customizable.  I usually handwrite the letters on cards rather than printing them on letterhead, for a more personal touch.  I also handwrite the client's address on the envelope.  For the more important letters, such as the family satisfaction survey, which is sent one month after the patient's death, I follow up by phone one week after sending the letter to be sure that the client has received the mailing.  This usually works well.  We get an 80% return rate on the surveys.

We use HCHB, and I really like it!  It offers prompts for when to send letters, and each of the letters is customizable.  I usually handwrite the letters on cards rather than printing them on letterhead, for a more personal touch.  I also handwrite the client's address on the envelope.  For the more important letters, such as the family satisfaction survey, which is sent one month after the patient's death, I follow up by phone one week after sending the letter to be sure that the client has received the mailing.  This usually works well.  We get an 80% return rate on the surveys.

Hi,

Would you please define HCHB and provide contact information.

Thanks,

Michele Murphy Wise, MHA, MA

Visiting Nurse Association Bereavement Coordinator

2401 Valley Dr. Valparaiso, IN 46383