Literature Review

Series of 19 online videos address paliative care issuesPress-Republican, by Robin Caudell; 1/26/24Project Compassion began with conversations over coffee after Mass between a doctor and a retired priest. Seventy-one percent of U.S. adults have never heard of palliative care. More than 12 million adults are living with a serious illness now and that number is growing exponentially, according to a press release. To help address this need, Project Compassion was developed by Father Charles Vavonese and Dr. Paul Fiacco thanks to a $500,000 grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.

CMS looks to tackle Medicare Advantage's 'black box'Becker's Payer Issues, by Rylee Wilson; 1/26/24CMS is seeking input on improving transparency in the Medicare Advantage program. The agency issued a request for information Jan. 25, seeking public feedback on how data collection and transparency in the program can be improved. In a news release, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said increased transparency is key to increasing competitiveness in the program and ensuring Medicare dollars are spent correctly.

HHS: Lack of incentives bar home health, hospice providers from creating interoperable solutionsMcKnights Senior Living, by Adam Healy; 1/19/24Long-term and post-acute care organizations have not received the same support as other care settings for creating interoperable patient data tools, putting home health and hospice providers at a disadvantage, according to new research by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

New dementia-focused payment model emphasizes caregiver supportHospice News, by Holly Vossel; 1/18/23Without family caregivers, most hospice and palliative care patients would be unable to receive care in the home. Now, some emerging payment models are including caregiver support as a key component. ... [These come] at a time when dementia-related illnesses are on the rise among hospice patients.

‘You can complain about it, or lean in’: Top home health leaders brace for 2024Home Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 1/19/24With the start of a new year, home health leaders are looking ahead, and identifying their top priorities. Some of these areas of focus will directly address last year’s challenges, and some are proactive measures that will place them ahead. At Bayada Home Health Care, these priorities include focusing on the employee experience, as well as clinical model evolution.

Care planning issues top lists of hospice survey deficienciesHospice News, by Jim Parker; 1/4/24Amid rising regulatory scrutiny, issues related to care planning continue to top lists of the most common survey deficiencies among hospices. The most frequently cited deficiency is the requirement that each patient should have a customized care plan developed by the interdisciplinary team with involvement from a physician as well as the patient and family, the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) reported. The noncompliance rate was 66% for 2022.

Sunday NewslettersTop read stories of the last two weeks (in order) is the focus of Sunday newsletters - enjoy!

Navigating compassion: A comprehensive review of palliative care in respiratory medicineCureus (India), by Ulhas Jadhav, Jay Bhanushali, Arman Sindhu, Bingu Shiv Kiran Reddy; 12/23.Palliative care has emerged as a crucial aspect of comprehensive healthcare, particularly in respiratory medicine. This review navigates the intricate landscape of palliative care in the context of respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and lung cancer.

The Better Care Plan: a blueprint for improving America's healthcare systemHealth Affairs Scholar, by Stephen M Shortell, John S Toussaint, George C Halvorson, Jon M Kingsdale, Richard M Scheffler, Allyson Y Schwartz, Peter A Wadsworth, Gail Wilensky; 7/23The United States falls far short of its potential for delivering care that is effective, efficient, safe, timely, patient-centered, and equitable. We put forward the Better Care Plan, an overarching blueprint to address the flaws in our current system. The plan calls for continuously improving care, moving all payers to risk-adjusted prospective payment, and creating national entities for collecting, analyzing, and reporting patient safety and quality-of-care outcomes data. A number of recommendations are made to achieve these goals.Publisher note: From "The Best of Health Affairs Scholar 2023".

Navigating stress in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit among parents of children with severe neurological impairmentJ Pain Symptom Manage, by Jori F. Bogetz, MD; Justin Yu, MD, MS; Ellie Oslin, BA; Krysta S. Barton, PhD, MPH; Joyce P. Yi-Frazier, PhD; Robert Scott Watson, MD, MPH; Abby R. Rosenberg, MD, MA, MS; 12/23This qualitative study of 15 parents of children with severe neurological impairment highlights various ways parents and family caregivers navigate stress in the pediatric intensive care unit, including both self-activation and letting go, with the most reported practices being advocating for their child and being supported by compassionate clinicians.

Grief training in palliative care fellowshipsJournal of Pain & Symptom Management, by Sara A. Barlow, MD; Meghan Price, MD; Christopher A. Jones, MD; Carl Pieper, DrPH; Anthony N. Galanos, MD; 1/24No prior study has assessed grief and bereavement curriculum in Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) fellowship programs in the United States. ... Most palliative care programs were academic (74%) and had four or fewer fellows (85%). 90% devoted a minority (0%–10%) of their curriculum to grief and bereavement training. Most programs reported at least some program-led grief and bereavement programming (69%); however, 53% endorsed that fellows are not very or not at all involved in this programming. 

Saturday NewslettersResearch literature is the focus of Saturday newsletters - enjoy!

Other Business Headlines of Interest, updated 1/25/24 per nasdaq.com