Literature Review

Algorithm-based palliative care in patients with cancer-A cluster randomized clinical trialJAMA Network Open; Ravi B. Parikh, MD, MPP; William J. Ferrell, MPH; Yang Li, MS; Jinbo Chen, PhD; Larry Bilbrey; Nicole Johnson, BSN; Jenna White, MSW; Ramy Sedhom, MD; Natalie R. Dickson, MD; Stephen Schleicher, MD; Justin E. Bekelman, MD; Sandhya Mudumbi, MD; 2/25In this randomized clinical trial conducted in a community oncology network between November 2022 and December 2023 among 562 patients with advanced cancer identified by an automated electronic health record algorithm, default orders increased palliative care consultation (44% vs 8%) and decreased end-of-life systemic therapy (6% vs 16%) compared with usual care but did not improve patient-reported or hospice outcomes. The findings suggest that default algorithm-based palliative care orders are a scalable implementation strategy to increase palliative care referrals and reduce intensive end-of-life care. 

Increasing awareness and access to integrated behavioral health and palliative care: An introduction to the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine'sAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care; James Gerhart, Michael Hoerger, Stacie Levine, Sean O'Mahony; 2/25Mental health symptoms are common in the general population and are overrepresented in patients receiving palliative care and hospice services. This introduction to the special issue on Mental Health in Palliative Care and Hospice highlights the ongoing need for research and training to prepare our palliative care workforce to address the concerns of patients experiencing serious illness and mental health concerns. Multilevel approaches are needed to enhance understanding of mental health needs among people with serious illness. Public health outreach is needed within our communities, targeted support is needed for family caregivers, and structured training for palliative care and hospice clinicians is needed to enhance competent mental health in these settings.

Explaining racial and ethnic disparities in advance care planning: A decomposition analysisJournal of Pain and Symptom Management; Yifan Lou, Emma Zang, Qianqian Li; 2/25The ACP [advance care planning] disparities between White and Hispanic populations were nearly twice as large as the disparity between White and Black populations. Interventions targeting less educated older Black and Hispanic individuals should be prioritized to narrow the ACP disparity. Negative healthcare experiences in previous care and household dynamics should be addressed while working with Black and Hispanic older adults, respectively.

Children and family bereavement needs on the rise at Hospice of Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Independent, Santa Barbara, CA; by Hospice of Santa Barbara; 3/5/25 It’s not just adults who are impacted by grief and loss in our community. Children are as well. One in five children will experience the death of someone close to them by age 18, and one in twenty children will experience the death of one or both parents before reaching adulthood. Although death and grief are inevitable parts of life, these statistics highlight just how many children are impacted. Children are especially vulnerable when they lose a close loved one, and without professional support, grief can be especially paralyzing and overwhelming. ... Hospice of Santa Barbara’s Children and Family Services program provides free professional support and coping tools for children, teens and their families ... HSB is active in local campuses, providing professional weekly support groups from elementary to college age students. On-campus counseling services provide a vital space for open communication, support and the development of coping skills.Editor's note: What specialized child, teen and family bereavement services are you providing? Missing? What more can you do, with life-changing outcomes for those you serve?

1 in 7 Medicaid users go to nursing home after cancer diagnosis, study finds McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Kristen Fischer; 3/5/25 One in 7 Medicaid beneficiaries received care at a nursing home after they were newly diagnosed with cancer, a new study finds. People who went to nursing homes were more likely to be white or Black, and dual-eligible for Medicaid and Medicare, compared to those who did not use nursing homes and primarily had short nursing home stays. The study was published Tuesday [3/4] in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. ... Investigators examined data from 338,767 Medicaid beneficiaries spanning 45 states who were newly diagnosed with cancer and were diagnosed with cancer in 2017 or 2018. ... The most prevalent cancer types associated with short and long stays were lung, breast and hematological.  The high number of people who are dual-eligible and going to nursing homes after a cancer diagnosis is an important policy issue, the authors wrote. 

Executive Personnel Changes - 3/7/25

Unity Hospice and Palliative Care, with over 30 years experience, broadens services to southern Wisconsin EIN Presswire; by Unity Hospice and Palliative Care; 3/6/25 Unity Hospice and Palliative Care is expanding its services to Southern Wisconsin, bringing decades of expertise in delivering personalized, heartfelt care and support to individuals and families facing life-limiting illnesses. The new location will serve patients in Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Racine counties, ensuring greater access to high-quality hospice and palliative care. "For over 30 years, Unity Hospice and Palliative Care has provided expert, compassionate support to patients and families," said Michael Klein, CEO of Unity Hospice and Palliative Care. "Expanding to Southern Wisconsin allows us to bring that same commitment to even more communities, ensuring that individuals facing serious illness receive the personalized care they deserve."

The 8 new rules of IT leadership — and what they replaceCIO; by Mary K. Pratt; 3/3/25 The technology landscape is rapidly evolving — so too is the way IT chiefs should lead their organizations. Here’s which old rules of IT leadership are no longer relevant and what has replaced them. ... Here, veteran CIOs, researchers, and advisers share the changes they’re seeing, offering a look at the new rules of IT leadership along with the old ones they’ve replaced. 

HHS scraps transparency practices for policymaking Modern Healthcare; by Bridget Early; 2/28/25The Health and Human Services Department is abandoning a Nixon-era practice that offered transparency into federal policymaking in a move that limits the public and the healthcare sector's ability to influence government actions. Instead, HHS intends to comply with the bare-minimum requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act of 1946, or APA, and only engage in the traditional notice-and-comment process as expressly dictated by that law, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote in a policy statement published Friday [2/27]. HHS had followed the now-defunct guidelines for 54 years.

Palliative care clinicians goals-of-care notes more extensive than other providers’ documentation Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/5/25 A team of researchers has developed a standardized goals-of-care note to document patient wishes in the electronic medical record. Many patients do not experience goals-of-care conversations in a timely manner. But even among those who have, their wishes can get lost if they are not documented. The standardized note created by a research team from the Regenstrief Institute, the Indiana University School of Medicine and Indiana University Health can help health care providers be aware of and access patients’ goals of care, according to lead investigator Dr. Alexia Torke. ... The research on the note was published in the American Journal of Medicine.

Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation announces 2025 Emerging Leader Award recipients  Hospice & Palliative Nurses Foundation; Press Release; 12/9/24The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF) is thrilled to announce the 30 outstanding recipients of the 2025 Emerging Leader Award! These exceptional hospice and palliative care nurses represent the future of the field, having demonstrated remarkable leadership, innovation, and dedication early in their careers. … Please join HPNF in congratulating these inspiring trailblazers of the 2025 Emerging Leaders Award! 

Providence, Compassus finalize home health joint venture HomeCare, Renton, WA and Brentwood, TN; 3/5/25Providence, a nonprofit health system serving the Western U.S., and Compassus, a national provider of integrated home-based care services, announced they have finalized the first phase of a joint venture for home health, hospice and community-based palliative care in Alaska, Texas and Washington. The new entity will operate under the name Providence at Home with Compassus. In Lubbock, Texas, the Covenant Health hospice program that is part of the Providence family of organizations will be rebranded as Covenant Health at Home with Compassus. Under the agreement, Compassus will manage operations for the joint venture, which will include six home health locations in Alaska and Washington, and five hospice and palliative care locations in Alaska, Texas and Washington.

Uplift Hospice acquires Star of Texas Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/5/25Uplift Hospice has acquired Star of Texas Hospice. Financial terms were undisclosed. The transaction will bring Uplift’s average daily census up to 450 across three states — Arizona, Nevada and Texas. The two organizations first connected to discuss a potential transaction through a mutual relationship with the M&A advisory firm Agenda Health, according to Uplift Hospice’s CEO Owen Lawrie.