Strategic planning in hospice organizations and the higher education needs of hospice administrators

Hospice administration is a new field of practice. It has not yet developed its own research and education foundations; consequently, the practitioners of the field often do not have the professional knowledge needed for current and continued hospice operation.

The goals for this research were to establish baseline data on hospice organizations, to determine for the first time the professional education status of hospice administrators, to develop and validate a strategic planning model for hospices, and to guide the development of higher education courses related to strategic planning for allied health professionals.

The research methodology for this project relied upon descriptive and general systems research designs. An Executive Director Planning Questionnaire containing questions related to hospice demographic information, administrator characteristics, education, needs and status, and hospice planning modes was sent in 1993 to all 1,500 hospice chief executive officers. The Questionnaire also asked these officers to validate two strategic planning models for use in hospices.