BC Hospice Palliative Care Association Standardizing Hospice Data Practices

Information and Technology Task Group April 2026 Update!

Adam Webber — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:05:29 GMT

The IT Task Group has been meeting since the summer of 2023, working with hospice societies in BC and the Yukon to co-develop a standardized reporting tool that captures the impact hospice societies have in their communities. With the increasing demand for data in public education and advocacy, there is a case to be made that provincial-level data could be leveraged not only to increase access to funding but ultimately to support hospice societies in providing the highest level of client care within hospice palliative care, including grief and bereavement.

What We Have Accomplished

To date, the IT Task Group has:

Developed a glossary of terms to describe the programs and activities core to hospice palliative careDesigned and circulated surveys to capture the scope of programs and services offered by hospice societies across BC and the Yukon
Engaged hospice societies and interest holders across BC and the Yukon in conversations about current data practices

We are grateful to all societies who took the time to participate in the surveys — your input is invaluable to this work.

Where We Are Now

Currently, the IT Task Group is working with the data from the sector surveys to identify current trends in hospice care in BC and the Yukon. We are excited to be able to share our findings this upcoming summer.

What’s Next

Monthly ongoing progress updates. We will also be sharing aggregated data as we continue moving through the data analysis process.

In the fall of 2026, the IT task group will be consulting with a variety of hospice representatives to gain insights into what data would be most beneficial to the day-to-day operations of hospice organizations.

Action Needed: Community Education and Outreach Survey!!

Adam Webber — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 15:16:47 GMT

Action needed: Complete the Community Education and Outreach Survey before it closes this week! We're seeking a few more responses from hospice societies to gather essential data on community education and outreach programs. Your participation in this 7-minute survey will ensure your hospice's voice is included in this framework, built by hospices for hospices.

The emails have been sent directly from Survey Monkey. If you want to know if your hospice society has completed the survey or have the survey link sent again, please email adam.webber@bchpca.org.

Standardizing Data Collection Practices in Hospice and Palliative Care

Adam Webber — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 18:28:57 GMT

In the healthcare sector, particularly within hospice and palliative care, nurturing a robust patient-provider relationship is crucial. Patients and their loved ones rely on hospices to provide unwavering support. To cultivate trust with patients and their families, it is essential to demonstrate a steadfast dedication to transparency, accountability, and evidence-based practices. By using shared indicators and reporting frameworks, hospice societies can underscore their commitment to delivering the highest calibre of care, fostering a solid and reliable rapport with their patients and communities.

In the spring of 2023, the British Columbia Hospice and Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) initiated the formation of the Information and Technology (IT) Task Group with the goal of co-developing a set of standardized metrics and reporting framework with hospice societies in British Columbia (BC) and the Yukon. The IT Task Group consists of individuals who have extensive experience working in hospice palliative care and a keen interest in data collection and analysis. The IT Task Group has also engaged the help of experts in the field and hospice societies in BC and the Yukon to test and provide feedback on data collection tools.

This work comes in part as a response to increased calls from the province for standardized data models in healthcare-related fields. In the Government of Canada’s report The Framework on Palliative Care in Canada-Five Years Later: A Report on the State of Palliative Care in Canada they state that “the 2023 data reflects some improvements to home care reporting and overall access to palliative care. However, data are needed to better measure access to care and experiences across settings in all provinces and territories, as well as who was not able to access palliative care” (Section 4.3, 2023). The federal budget in 2023 included multi-year funding for Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians, part of this initiative is to modernize “the health care system with standardized health data and digital tools.” This aligns with the work being done by the BCHPCA and the IT Task Group to create standardized data reporting practices for hospice societies across BC and the Yukon.

The IT Task Group’s goals include establishing common language and indicators, mapping core hospice services across BC and the Yukon, and developing a standardized reporting framework. By engaging with hospice societies of all sizes across BC and the Yukon, the BCHPCA and IT Task Group seek to lead the way in building standardized data reporting practices for hospice societies, with hospice societies, by hospice societies. We believe the benefits of this work go far beyond a standardized reporting framework, and include:

Improve individual hospice societies' understanding of their care and service delivery trends
Improve understanding of the services provided by hospice societies across the province, gaps in service and developing areas of need
Foster improved communication with health authorities

Create opportunities for enhanced inter-organizational communication and connections
Boost the visibility of the vital work being done in our communities and help the public understand the crucial role hospices play
Allow for the possibility of communicating collective impact to current and potential funders
Create new opportunities, including working towards a provincial funding model

At its core, the work of this task group is to understand how hospice societies contribute to their communities, increase access to funding, and ultimately support hospice societies in providing the highest level of client care within hospice palliative care, including grief and bereavement services, to clients across BC and the Yukon.