Literature Review

Better manage privacy concerns related to AI in healthcare Fior Reports; by Becca Roberts; 6/17/24 Artificial intelligence technologies offer tremendous potential in healthcare, but it is critical for organizations to carefully consider the complex privacy concerns associated with different types of AI products and deployments, says Karen Habercoss, privacy officer at UChicago Medicine. “It’s critical to really understand what the use cases are and how we can minimize the amount of data we share to protect our patients, their privacy and their data,” she said. “I'm very much in favor of AI. I think it will bring about a fundamental change in the way we care for patients clinically in healthcare. Those are the very positive things that will come out of it. But with that comes a great responsibility to protect our patients from things they may not understand,” she said. 

Global digital health outlook and growth report 2024: Care at home and alternative sites will see a growing preference, focus will be on adoption across clinical and operational use cases Classic 96.7 FM; by Business Wire; 6/17/24The digital health industry has maintained a consistent growth trajectory. Investing in technologies that help organizations achieve the quintuple aim of healthcare is a constant priority. However, high inflation and tight monetary policy will impact the investment landscape as it shifts from top-line growth to profitability. ... Change management initiatives will require stakeholder education to understand the pros and cons of newer technology initiatives and work alongside these to improve clinical and operational processes. Top 2024 Digital Health Predictions:

Bluegrass Care Navigators and Hosparus Health announce landmark affiliation agreement Hosparus Health Press Release; 6/17/24 Today marks a significant milestone as Bluegrass Care Navigators and Hosparus Health announced that their respective boards of directors have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to begin working toward a formal affiliation between the two organizations. The affiliation is rooted in the organizations’ shared mission of providing compassionate, high-quality care to those facing serious illness and end-of-life. It aims to enhance service delivery, improve operational efficiencies, and bolster long-term sustainability — all while preserving the unique identities and local operations of both organizations. David Cook, Hosparus Health President and CEO, said, “This formal affiliation is designed to strengthen and improve resiliency for our organizations. Rest assured, we will continue to honor and maintain the distinct identities and local presence that our communities have come to cherish. This affiliation is a testament to our shared commitment to working together and enhancing care for our communities.” “Both Bluegrass Care Navigators and Hosparus Health share a joint mission: to provide exceptional, compassionate, high-quality care to those facing frailty, serious illness and end-of-life,” added Liz Fowler, President and CEO of Bluegrass Care Navigators. “Our long histories of service, innovation, and excellence make this affiliation a natural and exciting next step.” [Click on the title's link to read more.] 

It’s your funeral! How to plan ahead for the best party you’ll never attend The Guardian; by Doosie Morris; 6/14/24 Years before the indomitable Joan Rivers died in 2014 she immortalised hopes for her own farewell in her memoir. ... The rise in so-called “death positivity”, along with the mortal reality check wreaked on us by the pandemic, has helped to reframe death as a part of life for many of us. Taboos around discussing death are breaking down and planning your own funeral is increasingly considered as responsible as writing a will. ... While the latest Australian Funeral Industry report found less than one in five Australians have actually planned their own funeral, a definite vibe shift is occurring and 90% of people say they want to. ... “When people say ‘I don’t want a funeral’ I remind them it’s not actually for them,” Griffith says. “You might think you’re doing your loved ones a favour, but you are actually denying everyone who needs somewhere to put their grief.” ...

Sens. Warren, Markey propose bill that would lead to prison time for 'corporate greed' in health careFox News [reported by KFF Health News]; by Landon Mion; 6/12/24The Corporate Crimes Against Health Care Act would create a new criminal penalty that could land executives in prison for up to six years. Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, both Democrats, introduced legislation Tuesday that would result in prison time for violators of "corporate greed" in health care. The Corporate Crimes Against Health Care Act would also offer state attorneys general and the U.S. Justice Department more tools to go after health care executives accused of corporate exploitation for endangering patient safety and access to health care, according to a press release.

4 percent of those aged 65+ have dementia diagnoses: reportMcKnight's Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 6/14/24Four percent of US adults aged 65 or more years have a dementia diagnosis, with rates of dementia increasing with age, according to newly released data. Data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey, or NHIS, revealed that the rate of dementia diagnoses ranged from 1.7% for adults aged 65 to 74 years to 13.1% in those 85 and older, according to the National Health Statistics Reports issue released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ... Among all residential care communities, 42% of residents have diagnoses of Alzhiemer’s disease or other dementias, according to the report. By comparison, 31% had heart disease, and 29% had depression.

Juneteenth 2024: If people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love. But we need to know, you can’t erase history. So, let’s learn from it and be damned sure it doesn’t happen again." — Ms. Opal Lee, Civil Rights Activist, Grandmother of Juneteenth and honorary national co-chair of the Juneteenth Legacy Project

Dying of heart failure: how do we improve the experience? The Medical Journal of Australia - MJA; by Dominica Zentner, Vithoosharan Sivanathan, Jennifer Philip and Natasha Smallwood; published online 6/17/24 ... Despite the improvements afforded by multiple pharmacological, surgical and interventional developments in heart failure, the goal of therapy remains delayed disease progression for many. Cognisant of this reality, recent heart failure guidelines all highlight the important role of palliative care. ... The MJA recently published an article regarding the imperative of reframing palliative care. ... We suggest that ...

CMS recalculates Medicare Advantage star ratings Becker's Payer Issues; by Rylee Wilson; 6/13/24CMS has recalculated Medicare Advantage plans' star ratings after insurers challenging the agency's methodology were handed court victories. In a memo sent to MA plans on June 13, the agency said it would recalculate plans' star ratings for 2024 without eliminating extreme outliers.  

Telehealth can broaden reach of palliative care for lung cancer patients, per MGH study MedCity News; by Frank Vinluan; 6/16/24 Palliative care provided by video was equivalent to in-person visits with a clinician, according to study results presented during the recent annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Investigators say these results indicate telehealth can make palliative care accessible to more cancer patients. ... Guidelines of ASCO and other professional organizations recommend integrating palliative care from the time of a diagnosis of advanced cancer. Nevertheless, many patients don’t get this care, Greer said. On the clinician side, there are not enough specially trained palliative care clinicians, he explained. From the patient perspective, living in a rural area or lacking transportation can make it difficult to access such care.

How funerals and death became the new hot things New York Post; by Alix Strauss; 6/16/24 ... Funeral homes, similar to cemeteries ... are becoming the new community centers, and people are attending events not for sad occasions, but because they have become death curious, death fascinated, and death comfortable as we all move closer to that final chapter. “The stigma around funeral homes is dissipating. The vibe of our funeral home is changing. People come to these events wanting to be here, as opposed to having to be here,” said William Villanova, president of Frank E. Campbell – The Funeral Chapel. “There’s a void we are filling in our community. We put on large-scale, high-quality, catered events with talented people at an extraordinary space.”

Home health agency racked up $8.5 million through fraudulent claims, hired employees with criminal historyHome Heath Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 6/13/24The former owner of a home-based care company – based in the Cincinnati area – has been found guilty of fraudulently billing more than $8.5 million from Medicare, Medicaid and Veterans Affairs (VA) over a six-year period. From 2015 to 2021, Sharon Romaine Ward submitted at least 92,770 claims on behalf of Halo Home Healthcare to Medicaid, and received $8.4 million between 2016 and 2021. She also admitted that she concealed her ownership of that company because of a prior felony conviction.

Nurse’s union reacts to order that medical company pay $17M in bills Rhode Island News - Providence Now ABC 6; by Gino DeAngelis; 6/13/24 The United Nurses and Allied Professionals said it has been “sounding the alarm for years” about Prospect Medical Holdings’ lack of investment in both Our Lady of Fatima Hospital and Roger Williams Medical Center. The company was ordered to pay $17 million in overdue bills to vendors of both hospitals. UNAP said it represents 1,200 employees at both hospitals as well as at Prospect Home Health and Hospice. ... "This decision by Judge Stern further highlights the need for the next owner – whether it is Centurion Foundation or someone else – to invest their own capital into these important hospitals and healthcare facilities. We simply can not rely on saddling these hospitals with more and more debt as is being currently proposed."