Literature Review

A narrative review—Characterizing palliative care curriculum aimed at high school adolescents and young adultsIllness, Crisis and Loss; Austin B. Elder; 4/25The aim of this narrative review is to explore the characteristics of palliative care curriculum developed for high school adolescent and young adults (AYAs). Characteristics including a variety of designs, methods, and strategies were all identified to have positive participation, feedback, and experiences from high school AYA being provided palliative care curriculum. Conclusions: The literature indicates that the use of subject matter experts within palliative care curriculum for high school students is a core characteristic in meeting the World Health Organizations recommendation to embed palliative care curriculum into public awareness strategies.

Palliative and end-of-life care in stroke: A scientific statement from the American Heart AssociationStroke; by Claire J Creutzfeldt, Julia Bu, Amber Comer, Susan Enguidanos, Barbara Lutz, Maisha T Robinson, Darin B Zahuranec, Robert G Holloway, American Heart Association Stroke Council, Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, Council on Clinical Cardiology; 2/25Stroke has multidimensional effects on patients and their families because of threats to personhood, prognostic uncertainty, and the need to adapt to functional changes after stroke. Palliative care has evolved as both a specialty and a skillset with a goal to improve communication about goals of care and quality of life for patients and their families that emphasizes a holistic, all-person approach. After stroke, palliative care needs (eg, to address pain and physical, emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual distress) are insufficiently addressed by current models of care. Integrating palliative care principles is fundamental in all stages of stroke and should include strategies to improve communication about prognosis and goals of care, address psychosocial needs such as coping with loss, navigating complex health care systems, and preparing for death when necessary.

What functions do palliative care bereavement services deliver? A scoping reviewPalliative Care and Social Practice; by Kathleen E Jurgens, David C Currow, Jennifer Tieman; 3/25Following someone's death, bereaved people may struggle with their grief. When a patient receives palliative care, bereavement support for the patient's family is an expected function of specialist palliative care services. To date, detailed descriptions of the purpose, function and provision of support from bereavement services are limited. This study examined how specialist palliative bereavement services self-defined their functions and described any support and interventions they offer.

Psychedelics, spirituality, and existential distress in patients at the end of lifeCleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine; by Nicole Cornish, Tara Coles, M Jennifer Cheng, Claudia Ruiz Sotomayor, Aaron Wolfgang, Christopher Spevak; 4/25Psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical trials conducted over the past decade have prompted increased interest in the use of psychedelics to treat nonphysical suffering, which can include significant spiritual and existential distress at the end of life. The authors explore the role of psychedelics in helping to address patients' spiritual and existential suffering from a medical, ethical, and legal perspective, with the aim of stimulating discussion and research on this timely and clinically promising topic.

[Philippines] Virtual mourning: How Filipinos utilize Facebook to express grief and seek support – A hermeneutic phenomenological studyMarc Kenneth F. Cabañero, Ma. Teresa Tricia Guison-Bautista; 4/25This study explores how grieving Filipinos use Facebook to cope with loss and seek support, integrating traditional mourning practices with digital expressions of grief. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten bereaved Filipinos to examine their online grieving experiences. Thematic analysis identified three key themes: the blending of traditional mourning rituals with Facebook for emotional support, the validation and relief provided by online interactions, and the role of digital mourning in fostering healing. Findings suggest that social media enhances Filipino bereavement practices by strengthening community connections and preserving cultural traditions. The study emphasizes the need for culturally sensitive digital spaces and grief support services that integrate both online and offline mourning.

[Australia] Overtreatment of older people near end of life: A qualitative scoping review of modalities, drivers, and solutionsOmega-Journal of Death and Dying; Samantha Fien, Emily Plunkett, Daniel Wadsworth, Magnolia Cardona; 4/24This study aimed to understand the drivers better to help minimise further risks of overtreatment for older people near the end of life (dysthanasia). Determinants included healthcare system factors, patient-centered care, family and caregiver, and clinician perspectives. This review confirms that despite almost two decades of recognition of the potential harms of overtreatment near the end of life, society, patients, and health systems have a role to play in reducing and addressing the determinants. We offer a range of solutions for clinicians, health service managers, and members of the public to consider.

Dying at home becomes more common for patients with history of ischemic stroke NeurologyToday; by Susan Fitzgerald; 5/15/25 In contrast to earlier studies showing a decline in stroke prevalence and mortality, a new study found that the rates are going up and more people, particularly Black Americans, are either dying at home or arriving to the hospital dead on arrival. Experts speculate that the trend may be driven by the lack of access to hospice services and care, in general.

Social Media Watch 5/16/25

Finding her strength in silence: CSU Pueblo student graduates twice, carring her mother's dream Colorado State University Pueblo, Pueblo, CO; by Soni Brinsko; 5/14/25 The porch was still new when the professors arrived that late November evening. Hand-laid tiles, each one carefully placed by a father during what should have been vacation time. He’d built it for his wife so she could sit outside, feel the Colorado breeze one more time. That night, the porch became something else entirely. It became a stage for a graduation ceremony that wasn’t supposed to happen until May. Alondra Solis Ayala is about to walk across the commencement stage at Colorado State University Pueblo this week. It will be her second graduation. The first one happened in her family’s living room, with her dying mother watching from a chair, too weak to stand but strong enough to declare “esa es mi hija”—that’s my daughter—as faculty members in full regalia handed over a diploma cover and stole in what became an impromptu, deeply personal ceremony.

[United Kingdom] For, against, undecided: Three GPs give their views on assisted dying BBC News; by Catherine Burns and Vicki Loader; 5/13/25 If you ask these three doctors about being GPs, their answers are remarkably similar. "It can be the best job in the world," one tells me. It's "a privilege" another says. They all talk about how they love getting to know their patients and their families. But all three have different views on assisted dying. Right now, the law here is clear: medics cannot help patients to take their own lives. But that could change. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being debated in Parliament. And if it goes through, it will give some terminally ill patients in England and Wales the option of an assisted death. Here, three doctors - Abdul Farooq, Susi Caesar and Gurpreet Khaira, who all have a different view on assisted dying - tell us how they feel about the proposals.

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. ~ Mother Teresa

UnitedHealth Group is under criminal investigation for possible Medicare fraud The Wall Street Journal; by Christopher Weaver and Anna Wilde Mathews; 5/15/25 The Justice Department is investigating UnitedHealth Group for possible criminal Medicare fraud, people familiar with the matter said. The healthcare-fraud unit of the Justice Department’s criminal division is overseeing the investigation, the people said, and it has been an active probe since at least last summer. While the exact nature of the potential criminal allegations against UnitedHealth is unclear, the people said the federal investigation is focusing on the company’s Medicare Advantage business practices. UnitedHealth said in a statement it hadn’t been notified by the Justice Department of the criminal investigation. The statement said the company stands “by the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program.” A DOJ spokesman declined to comment.

A new era of healing: How home care is changing the healthcare landscape Repertoire Magazine; 5/13/25 Older adults often prefer receiving care in familiar surroundings, which enhances their comfort and quality of life. Home health services enable patients to age in place, reducing the need for institutional care, such as nursing homes. ... For the May issue, Repertoire Magazine spoke to several experts – from distributors to providers – on the current realities of the home care market and what’s in store in the years to come. ...