Part Two | Dr. Joan Teno Exposes the Hidden Problems with Hospice Ratings and Quality Scores

About this episode

Can consumers really trust hospice quality ratings?

In Part Two of this powerful TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership conversation, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner continue their discussion with nationally recognized hospice researcher and policy expert Dr. Joan Teno.

Building on Part One, Dr. Teno explores how patients and families can make better-informed hospice decisions, why current quality reporting systems often fall short, and how artificial intelligence could transform the future of hospice quality measurement. She also addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing the industry today: preserving public trust while combating fraud, profiteering, and unethical practices.

Drawing from decades of research and policy leadership, Dr. Teno offers a thoughtful perspective on the future of hospice care, the importance of transparency, and the critical role healthcare leaders must play in protecting the integrity of the hospice mission.

Whether you’re a hospice professional, healthcare executive, policymaker, clinician, or family caregiver, this episode offers valuable insights into the future of end-of-life care.

Key Takeaways:

✔ Why consumers need better tools to evaluate hospice quality
✔ How AI could improve hospice transparency and decision-making
✔ The risks of oversupply, profiteering, and declining public trust
✔ Why quality data should empower both providers and families
✔ The extraordinary impact hospice clinicians continue to make every day
✔ The future of hospice care, accountability, and patient choice


Chapters:
0:00    Welcome And Part Two Setup
0:21    A Better Way To Find Hospice
3:06    Weighting Scores Without Punishing Small Programs
6:01    The Denominator Problem Behind Star Ratings
10:58  Rural Hospice Reality And The Willie Sutton Rule
12:08  AI Can Hallucinate Hospice Quality
16:47  Public Trust And A Saturated Hospice Market
23:36  Ghost Hospices And Which Data To Trust
26:04  Do CAHPS Questions Still Fit Hospice Today
27:44  Concurrent Care And Why Hospice Stays A Hard Choice
33:40  Giving Back Through Mentoring And Substack
35:57  Subscribe And The Brain Bookmark



Guest: Dr. Joan Teno
MD, MS; Adjunct Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice (Brown School of Public Health); Adjunct Staff, RAND Corporation

Co-Host: Cordt Kassner, PhD, Publisher of Hospice & Palliative Care Today & CEO and Founder of Hospice Analytics

Host: Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS, author of The Anatomy of Leadership

Teleios Collaborative Network   /   https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast