Literature Review

A fool is known by his speech; and a wise man by silence. ~Pythagoras [Greek philosopher and yes, the Pythagorean theorem guy!]

The 9 college majors that lead to the most fulfilling careers ... [Music therapy]NBC 7 San Diego, CA; by Kamaron McNair; 9/14/24 If you want your degree to help you land a fulfilling job, consider studying music therapy. The medical and therapeutic fields are among the college majors helping graduates get jobs that make the world a better place, according to graduates surveyed in a recent Payscale report.24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are Alumni with bachelor's degrees in music therapy are most likely to do this kind of fulfilling work, with 95% of degree-holders saying their work makes the world a better place, Payscale finds. Music therapy programs cover coursework in music, music therapy, science and psychology, according to the American Music Therapy Association. ... Music therapists may work in traditional settings, offering services to clients working through physical disabilities or mental health issues. People in hospice care, substance abuse programs and cancer treatment centers have also benefited from music therapist visits, according to the AMTA.Editor's note: Click here for facts and descriptions about "Music Therapy in Hospice Care," by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). To recruit a certified music therapist for hospice (or other setting), visit AMTA's Job Hotline.  

Using AI and social media to understand health disparities for transgender cancer careJAMA Network Open; Augustine Annan, PhD; Yeran Li, PhD; Jingcheng Du, PhD; Yezhou Sun, MS; A. I. Asante-Facey, MD; Xiaoyan Wang, PhD; Matthew Monberg, PhD; 8/24Transgender individuals experience lower health care use and higher health care discrimination rates. This qualitative study revealed 3 barriers in transgender cancer care: lack of awareness, access issues, and clinical challenges. The consistent reporting of clinical challenges indicates the need for tailored medical guidelines and gender-affirming support systems. Addressing these disparities requires enhanced clinician education, evidence-based guidelines, policy reforms, and inclusive health coverage. Despite potential biases and limitations in the representativeness of social media data, this study may offer valuable insights to guide future initiatives toward achieving equitable health care for transgender individuals.

Racial differences in palliative care and hospice among adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseRespiratory Medicine; by Natalia Smirnova, Sarah H Cross, Amanda Light, Dio Kavalieratos; 9/24Individuals with COPD often experience frequent hospitalizations and high-intensity care at the end-of-life (EOL). Although people with COPD experience a higher symptom burden and worse functional status than patients with other serious illness such as cancer, people with COPD are less likely to receive specialty palliative care (PC) or hospice and more likely to die in the hospital or the intensive care unit (ICU). Furthermore, evidence of inequities within COPD exist. For example, Black individuals and those with lower socioeconomic status are likelier to experience COPD exacerbations and have worse quality of life than White individuals and those with higher socioeconomic status.

Racial disparities in cancer stage at diagnosis and survival for adolescents and young adultsJAMA Network Open; Kekoa Taparra, MD, PhD; Kaeo Kekumano, BS; Ryan Benavente, BS; Luke Roberto, BS; Megan Gimmen, BS; Ryan Shontell, PhD; Henrietta Cakobau; Neha Deo, MD; Connor J. Kinslow, MD; Allison Betof Warner, MD, PhD; Curtiland Deville, MD; Jaimie Z. Shing, PhD, MPH; Jacqueline B. Vo, PhD, MPH, RN; Manali I. Patel, MD, MPH; Erqi Pollom, MD, MS; 8/24This cohort study of AYA [adolescent and young adult] patients suggests that stage at diagnosis and survival varied across races for the 10 deadliest AYA cancers. ... the risk of late-stage diagnosis was significantly higher for Asian, Black, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander patients compared with White patients. However, compared with White patients, the risk of death was significantly higher for American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander patients but lower for Asian patients. These results support the need for tailored interventions and informed public policy to achieve cancer care equity for all races.

Caregiver and employee experience among big hospices-ranking of the largest US hospices by three quality indicatorsAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Jason Hotchkiss, Emily Ridderman, Brendan Hotchkiss; 9/24Caregiver and employees had better experiences with non-profits than for-profits. Anger and frustration was expressed toward large, for-profit providers more focused on admissions, profiteering, and paying dividends than actual care. The CAHPS appears to draw more satisfied caregivers. Whereas, online reviewing provides open-ended, real-time voicing of care quality concerns. Even with distinct methods, CAHPS survey and review sentiment analysis converge on caregiver satisfaction, yet CAHPS paints a much rosier picture of hospice quality than online reviews.

"Life… Gets Turned Upside-Down…" Opportunities to improve palliative care for high-grade gliomaJournal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Rita C Crooms, Jeannys F Nnemnbeng, Jennie W Taylor, Nathan E Goldstein, Barbara G Vickrey, Ksenia Gorbenko; 9/24Early palliative care referral is recommended broadly in oncology. Yet, few patients with high-grade gliomas (HGG) - highly aggressive brain tumors - receive specialty palliative care consultation. The palliative care needs of HGG relative to other cancers across palliative care domains are distinguished by poor prognosis, physical and cognitive deficits, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Themes on indications for palliative care referral differed between neuro-oncologists and palliative physicians. Neuro-oncologists favored selective referral for clinical indications such as high non-neurologic symptom burden requiring time-intensive management. Palliative physicians favored early referral of most HGG patients, to allow for maximal benefit across HGG trajectory.

[Canada] Cognitive symptoms across diverse cancersJAMA Network Open; Samantha J. Mayo, RN, PhD; Kim Edelstein, PhD; Eshetu G. Atenafu, MSc, PStat; Rand Ajaj, HBSc; Madeline Li, MD, PhD; Lori J. Bernstein, PhD; 8/24In this cross-sectional study of 5078 survey respondents with cancer seeking psychosocial support, over half of these patients reported having cognitive symptoms of any severity. A third of these patients reported moderate to severe cognitive symptoms, which were associated with disease, treatment, and other symptoms. Findings of this study suggest that higher severity of cognitive symptoms was consistently associated with higher symptom burden; these findings could be used to inform decision-making regarding access to cognitive screening, assessment, and supportive care in outpatient oncology clinics.

Lake Erie views from every room mark plans for new Hospice of the Western Reserve building Ideastream Public Media; by Stephen Langel; 9/18/24The Hospice of the Western Reserve broke ground Wednesday on a new 32-bed facility in Cleveland's North Collinwood neighborhood.The new, $25 million building will replace a 30-year-old facility located adjacent to it on East 185th Street and will have a different look and feel than the old site, said Laura Rayburn, president of the Hospice of the Western Reserve Foundation."It doesn't smell like a hospital, look like a hospital or sound like a hospital," Rayburn said. ... The new facility will provide patients and family members with suites that ensure quiet settings and privacy, she said. Each suite will also face Lake Erie with patio access for residents. "We have this beautiful asset of the lake, and we know the importance of water and how it can relieve stress, how it can reduce anxiety," Rayburn said. The facility also keeps medical equipment hidden from view to reduce stress and anxiety while providing the acute care patients need, she said. This can include having the ports for equipment to help with breathing located behind a picture above a bed's headboard, so it's out of sight when not needed, Rayburn said. The old facility, for which there are no current reuse plans, is being replaced due to rising maintenance and repair costs.

The catalyst for a 25% drop in sepsis mortality at Jefferson Health Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Erica Carbajal; 9/19/24 In the healthcare quality space, clinicians must track a plethora of metrics and measures, creating an environment where it can be easy to lose focus of ongoing priorities. To help center focus and ensure alignment of clinical priorities, Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health developed a quality and safety management system called OnPoint, which is now in place across all of its 17 hospitals. ... The platform is central to strides Jefferson Health has made in managing sepsis in recent years, ... Since 2021, the system has achieved a 25% reduction in average annual sepsis mortality, which is estimated to have saved the lives of nearly 700 patients and $30 million in costs.

How healthcare leaders view Gen Z in the workforce Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 9/18/24As more members of Generation Z move into the workforce, some have clashed with management or disagree with how their employees view them. The group, born between 1997 and 2012, has been described as both tech-savvy and overly reliant on technology. Some human resources professionals have said they lack work ethic and time management skills. The early-career employees themselves have said they find enjoyment in full-time work and value career growth and planning. Here are three healthcare leaders' perceptions of Gen Z in the workforce.

There is a time in late September when the leaves are still green and the days are still warm, but somehow you know that it is all about to end, as if summer was holding its breath, and when it let it out again, it would be autumn. ~ Sharyn McCrumb

Hiring manager fired for refusing to post 'ghost jobs' is now sharing how to recognize them Upworthy; by Jacalyn Wetzel; 9/18/24 There doesn't seem to be a shortage in job openings but there does seem to be an abundance of people looking for work for months without finding gainful employment. According to Ceros Whaley, a former hiring manager at an unnamed company, the problem is that unsuspecting hopeful employees are unknowingly applying for "ghost jobs." Whaley shares that part of his job as a hiring manager was to create "ghost jobs," which are simply fake job listings. He explains that these job listings were not created to find more qualified people to fill positions but to "encourage" current employees to improve their performance. Whaley says that he got into a little bit of a kerfuffle with his higher manager over the company continuing the ghost job ruse. By the time the man reached his tolerance level for posting fake jobs, he had already posted over 300 ghost jobs on sites like Indeed, Monster and other hiring sites. But Whaley shares that he found his morals and just couldn't continue the practice. ... [The] frustrated former employee … did a follow up video sharing how to spot ghost jobs and how to avoid them while you're job hunting. [Click on the title’s link to view.]