Literature Review

The Nature of Suffering: BJ Miller and Naomi SaksGeriPal Podcast, with Alex Smith, Eric Widera, BJ Miller, Naomi Saks; 2/8/24Today we talk about suffering in the many forms we encounter in palliative care.

Quality, culture are watchwords for hospices in 2024Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 2/9/24Amid intensified regulatory scrutiny, staffing headwinds and shifts towards value-based care, hospices need to ensure that they’ve made a strong commitment to quality and to foster a positive workplace culture, according to hospice leaders.Notable mentions: Adnrew Molosky, Chapters Health; Craig Dresang, Yolo Care's.

5 recent MAID articles

Over 70% of New Yorkers favor Medical Aid in Dying bill, new poll finds City & State New York, by Rebecca C. Lewis; 2/8/24 A new poll commissioned by the groups Death With Dignity and the Completed Life Initiative found that a majority of New Yorkers – over 70% – favor legislation that would permit doctors to prescribe terminally ill patients medication to end their own lives. Patient protections are major concern at emotional hearing on medical aid-in-dying bill Maryland Matters, by Danielle J. Brown; 2/9/24 There have been prior attempts to pass aid-in-dying bills in Maryland, while 10 other states and Washington, D.C. have passed similar legislation. Publisher's note: Discussion of Maryland's SB 443 and HB 403. Both bills are titled the “End-of-Life Option Act (The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings and the Honorable Shane E. Pendergrass Act).” End of Life Act again proposed in Maryland, lawmakers believe it could pass this year WBALTV-11, by David Collins; 2/8/24 More than 100 people signed up Thursday to testify for and against Maryland's End of Life Option Act, which would legalize medical aid in dying. Lawmakers have tried for years to pass the legislation, but supporters believe the political climate has changed and this is the year it will pass. Should Illinois become 11th state to adopt 'right to die' legislation? Chicago Sun-Times, by Tina Sfondeles; 2/9/24 Illinois Senate Democrats are moving forward on legislation that would give mentally capable patients who are terminally ill an option of ending their own lives. Should treatment for severe mental illness include medical assistance in dying? The Hill, by Anand Kumar, Sally Weinstein; 2/9/24 Canada is on the threshold of enacting a law that would make medical assistance in dying (MAiD) accessible to people whose only medical condition is mental illness. If this were to pass, Canada would be one of only a handful of countries to extend that process for patients with serious mental illness.

California Hospice Network: State falls short in curbing potential malfeasanceHospice News, by Jim Parker; 2/8/24The continued licensing of new hospices in California despite a moratorium is “deeply disturbing and frustrating,” the California Hospice Network (CHN) indicated in a statement. The practice is undermining efforts to combat hospice fraud, which has been rampant in California according to media and state government investigations. In 2021, the state enacted two hospice reform laws  — Senate Bill 664 and Assembly Bill 1280 — designed to strengthen oversight, including a moratorium on new licenses and an extensive audit of California’s licensing and oversight processes.

As PACE grows, here’s what providers need to know about getting involved in the model Home Health Care News, by Patrick Filbin; 2/6/24 During the pandemic, some senior care models succeeded, and some didn’t. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) was one that did. In 2023, PACE enrollment exceeded 70,000 participants and has seen an over 40% growth in enrollment since 2019. ... But, in order for providers to become PACE partners or participants, they have to be as prepared as possible prior to the enrollment process.

Evaluation of the Medicare Care Choices Model: Annual / Final reportCMMI Evaluation Digest, 1/25/24The six-year Medicare Care Choices Model (MCCM) tested whether offering eligible fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries the option to receive supportive and palliative care services through hospice providers without forgoing payment for the treatment of their terminal conditions (which is required to enroll in the Medicare hospice benefit) improved beneficiaries’ quality of life and care, increased their satisfaction, and reduced Medicare expenditures.

A study of how Americans die may improve their end of lifeMedical Xpress, by Rutgers University; 1/24/24A Rutgers Health analysis of millions of Medicare records has laid the groundwork for improving end-of-life care by demonstrating that nearly all older Americans follow one of nine trajectories in their last three years of life.

Why hospice utilization rates have fallenHospice News, by Jim Parker; 1/25/24National hospice utilization rates have fallen since 2020, though the total number of patients served remains consistent. ... Mathematically, the percentage declined in part because of continually changing demographics.Publisher's note: This article quotes a decline in Medicare hospice utilization rates through 2021, which is true. However, we are seeing a rebound / increase in 2022 and 2023 information.

Hospice Benefit Policy Manual updates related to the addition of Marriage and Family Therapists or Mental Health Counselors to the Hospice Interdisciplinary TeamCMS; 1/22/24Change Request 13437 (PDF) purpose is to manualize changes to the hospice interdisciplinary group (IDG) to include Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) or Mental Health Counselors (MHCs). Publisher's note: Also see CMS Hospice Open Door Forum (November 29, 2023) Q&A.

For my teammates, this is an award for all of us. - Lamar Jackson

Are hospice Google ratings correlated with patient experience scores? Evidence from a national hospice studyAmerican Journal of Hopsice and Palliative Care, by Ganisher Davlyatov, Mengying He, Gregory Orewa, Haiyan Qu, Robert Weech-Maldonado; 2/22Choosing hospice care for your loved ones is often challenging. Online ratings such as Google rating has become a go-to source for most consumers. Hospice Google ratings were highly correlated with patients' and families' experience scores as measured by the CAHPS survey.

Participant safety in multisite, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials in hospice/palliative care: Data from the contracted studies of the Australian National Palliative Care Clinical Studies CollaborativeJournal of Palliative Medicine, by David C. Currow, Belinda Fazekas, Linda Brown, Slavica Kochovska, Katherine Clark, Meera R. Agar; 1/24Controversies surround conduct of phase III clinical trials in palliative care... These studies are safe for participants and generate knowledge to support informed patient decision making.