Executive Summary: A Convening to Define Concurrent Care

The Convening was made possible thanks to support from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, National Coalition for Hospice & Palliative Care, and National Association for Home Care and Hospice.

Leaders from across the country gathered for “Shaping the Future of Serious Illness Care: A Convening to Define Concurrent Care.” This one-day working session was held in Baltimore, MD, driven by a shared intent of unifying the knowledge and goals of concurrent care. An interdisciplinary cohort of 45 clinicians, patient advocates, and leaders from across the field of serious illness care including pediatrics engaged in a discover process that explored areas of consensus on the fundamental elements of concurrent care. The conversations of the day were captured in a newly released summary report that sets the stage for next steps such as shared visioning, strategy planning, and statutory, regulatory, and policy efforts needed to advance concurrent care.

Attendees were asked to explore what emerging factors they see in the next 5-15 years that will impact the language around concurrent care and should be considered. Attendees were also asked what they see as the core principles, ideas, and goals of concurrent care. The most resonant point was that concurrent care encompasses more than medical treatment—it fosters meaningful, empowering conversations throughout the healthcare journey that put patients in control of their own care.