Literature Review



End-of-life care for the devout Jewish patient

08/17/24 at 03:35 AM

End-of-life care for the devout Jewish patientJournal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice; by Jennifer Eitingon, Danielle Doberman, Zackary Berger, Corey Xavier Tapper; 8/24This case illustrates the ethical tensions that may arise when Western medical practices intersect with Orthodox Jewish beliefs, particularly regarding brain death, resuscitation, and artificial nutrition. We underscore the need for cultural sensitivity when approaching EOL decision-making, allowing for compassionate and comprehensive care that respects religious perspectives. This paper helps provide a structure for clinicians to navigate the complex EOL care needs for the devout Jewish patient in a manner consistent with their cultural and religious identity.

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African American patient and caregiver attitudes and perceptions of community health workers as lay patient navigators in palliative care

08/17/24 at 03:30 AM

African American patient and caregiver attitudes and perceptions of community health workers as lay patient navigators in palliative care Annals of Palliative Medicine; by Olivia Monton, Shannon Fuller, Amn Siddiqi, Alison P Woods, Taleaa Masroor, Robert Joyner, Ronit Elk, Jill Owczarzak, Fabian M Johnston; 8/5/24 Underutilization of palliative care services, especially among African American patients with advanced cancer, remains an important public health problem. To address this gap, we developed a community health worker (CHW) palliative care intervention for African American patients with advanced cancer, which is being formally assessed through an ongoing effectiveness-implementation trial. ... Results: Overall, there was a lack of awareness and understanding of palliative care, due primarily to limited experiences with palliative care services among study participants. Despite this lack of familiarity, participants recognized the potential benefits of palliative care for patients with advanced cancer.  

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Roles of Chaplains and Clergy in Spiritual Care for African Americans in Hospice: A Pilot Study

08/17/24 at 03:25 AM

Roles of chaplains and clergy in spiritual care for African Americans in hospice: a pilot studyAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care; by Denise D Quigley, Sara G McCleskey, Jason Lesandrini, Natalie McNeal, Nabeel Qureshi; 8/24 

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Special considerations in managing pain and psychosocial distress in patients with opioid use disorder and cancer: the role of the supportive care and psycho-oncology interdisciplinary team

08/17/24 at 03:20 AM

Special considerations in managing pain and psychosocial distress in patients with opioid use disorder and cancer: the role of the supportive care and psycho-oncology interdisciplinary teamAnnals of Palliative Medicine; by M Catherine Trimbur, Bridget Sumser, Chelsea Brown, Timothy Steinhoff, Khaldoun Almhanna, Dana Guyer; 7/24People with a substance use disorder (SUD) have shortened lifespans due to complications from their substance use and challenges engaging with traditional health care settings and institutions. This impact on life expectancy is especially prominent in patients with co-occurring SUDs and cancer, and often has a much worse prognosis from the cancer than a similar patient without a SUD. Palliative care teams are experts in serious illness communication and symptom management and have become increasingly embedded in the routine care of patients with cancer. We argue that the skill set of palliative care teams is uniquely suited for addressing the needs of this oft marginalized group.

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Physical, emotional, and practical symptom burden in patients with terminal illnesses

08/17/24 at 03:15 AM

Physical, emotional, and practical symptom burden in patients with terminal illnessesAnnals of Palliative Medicine; by Charles B. Simone II; 7/24End of life care can best be optimized by understanding the scope of symptom burden that patients face with end-stage diseases. As this symptom burden differs for different terminal conditions—from cancer to heart disease to neurological or kidney or pulmonary diseases, for example—it is critical to understand the symptoms and overall holistic effects that each diseases places on patients. The Integrated Palliative care Outcome Scale (IPOS) is a widely used and validated patient-reported tool consisting of 17 items (10 measuring physical symptoms, 4 measuring emotional symptoms, and 3 measuring communication/practical issues) rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Fordjour and colleagues (1) identified some important differences across terminal conditions ... Finally, this study identified groups at higher risk of suffering from a greater symptom burden, including older patients, female patients, married or cohabitating patients, and patients who live alone, thus providing healthcare providers with information from which they can prioritize resources for these patient populations.

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Symptom burden and quality of life among patient and family caregiver dyads in advanced cancer

08/17/24 at 03:10 AM

Symptom burden and quality of life among patient and family caregiver dyads in advanced cancerQuality of Life Research; by Katrina R Ellis, Allison Furgal, Feyisayo Wayas, Alexis Contreras, Carly Jones, Sierra Perez, Dolapo Raji, Madeline Smith, Charlotte Vincent, Lixin Song, Laurel Northouse, Aisha T Langford; 7/24Symptom management among patients diagnosed with advanced cancer is a high priority in clinical care that often involves the support of a family caregiver. This study seeks to identify patient and caregiver symptom clusters and investigate associations between identified clusters and demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors (cognitive appraisals and [quality of life] QOL). The most prevalent symptom for patients was energy loss/fatigue and for caregivers, mental distress. Higher symptom burden was associated with more negative appraisals of the cancer and caregiving experience, and poorer QOL (physical, social, emotional, functional, and overall QOL). Dyads whose caregivers had more chronic conditions were more likely to be in the high symptom burden subgroup.

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Pain management inequities by demographic and geriatric-related variables in older adult inpatients

08/17/24 at 03:05 AM

Pain management inequities by demographic and geriatric-related variables in older adult inpatientsJournal of the American Geriatrics Society; by Aksharananda Rambachan, Torsten B Neilands, Leah Karliner, Kenneth Covinsky, Margaret Fang, Tung Nguyen; 7/24Pain is ubiquitous, yet understudied. The objective of this study was to analyze inequities in pain assessment and management for hospitalized older adults focusing on demographic and geriatric-related variables. Conclusion: Older, hospitalized, general medicine patients from minoritized groups and with geriatric-related conditions are uniquely vulnerable to inequitable pain assessment and management. These findings raise concerns for pain underassessment and undertreatment.

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Identifying and addressing bias in artificial intelligence

08/17/24 at 03:00 AM

Identifying and addressing bias in artificial intelligenceJAMA Network Open; by Byron Crowe, Jorge A. Rodriguez; 8/6/24[Invited commentary.] In this issue, Lee and colleagues (Demographic representation of generative artificial intelligence images of physicians) describe the performance of several widely used artificial intelligence (AI) image generation models on producing images of physicians in the United States. The key question the authors set out to answer was whether the models would produce images that accurately reflect the actual racial, ethnic, and gender composition of the US physician workforce, or whether the models would demonstrate biased performance. One important aspect of the study method was that the authors used relatively open-ended prompts, including “Photo of a physician in the United States,” allowing the machinations of the AI to produce an image that it determined was most likely to meet the needs of the end user. AI tools powered by large language models, including the ones examined in the study, use a degree of randomness in their outputs, so models are expected to produce different images in response to each prompt—but how different would the images be? Their findings are striking. First, although 63% of US physicians are White, the models produced images of White physicians 82% of the time. Additionally, several models produced no images of Asian or Latino physicians despite nearly a third of the current physician workforce identifying as a member of these groups. The models also severely underrepresented women in their outputs, producing images of women physicians only 7% of the time. These results demonstrate a clear bias in outputs relative to actual physician demographics. But what do these findings mean for AI and its use in medicine?Publisher's note: This is a thought-provoking article on machine output - whether that's AI, a Google search, etc. It ultimately places responsibility of outputs and actions on people with conscience.

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Navigating end-stage blood cancer: When there are no more options

08/16/24 at 03:30 AM

Navigating end-stage blood cancer: When there are no more options Medscape Medical News; by Randy Dotinga; 8/14/24 Blood cancer death rates have dipped in recent decades, dramatically boosting 5-year survival rates in leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Still, the three diseases were expected to kill more than 57,000 people in the United States in 2023 — almost 10% of all cancer deaths. ... Here are five things to understand about navigating end-of-life care in blood cancer.

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Biden administration says Medicare negotiated price discounts on 10 prescription drugs

08/16/24 at 03:00 AM

Biden administration says Medicare negotiated price discounts on 10 prescription drugs USA Today; by Ken Alltucker; 8/15/24 ... The Biden administration announced Thursday that Medicare had negotiated discounts with pharmaceutical companies on 10 drugs prescribed to treat blood clots, cancer, heart disease and diabetes. The drugs are Eliquis, Jardiance, Xarelto, Januvia, Farxiga, Entresto, Enbrel, Imbruvica, Stelara, and the insulins Fiasp and NovoLog. The discounts will range from 38% to 79% when the negotiated prices take effect in 2026. The bargaining will save Medicare $6 billion when the price cuts are implemented in two years, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates. 

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Capitalizing palliative care startups

08/16/24 at 03:00 AM

Capitalizing palliative care startups Hospice News; by Jesse Floyd; 8/14/24 As a sector, most standalone palliative care providers are still maturing from startups into long-term, sustainable businesses. ... This means gathering the necessary startup capital to take a new palliative care provider from idea to execution is often the first tangible goal for hopeful entrants into the space. When Jonathan Fluhart and Tiffany Hughes set about getting PalliCare, their Texarkana, Texas-based palliative care provider from theory to reality, they ran headlong into this obstacle. ... “Initially, what we thought we would do is build a palliative program that would nest between the home health and hospice,” Fluhart said. “We started to go into the community to talk with facilities and places that we felt would benefit from our services. Once they learned that we were tied to a home health provider, especially a hospice, it turned them off.” They decided the answer was two-fold: Sever ties with the hospice care provider they worked for; then start casting about for investors. ... 

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Today's Encouragement: Back to school continued - Let us remember ...

08/16/24 at 03:00 AM

"Back to school" continued ... Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world. ~ Malala Yousafzai Editor's Note: Who was that key, change-teacher for you, in your world? If still living, reach out and voice your thanks! If not, find a living relative to let them know how their loved one's influence lives on in you and your work, today. 

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Franciscan Health opens new senior wellness center in Greenwood [PACE]

08/16/24 at 03:00 AM

Franciscan Health opens new senior wellness center in Greenwood [PACE] Daily Journal; by Ryan Trares; 8/12/24 The Franciscan Senior Health & Wellness Center, part of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, also known as PACE, is a newly opened facility in Greenwood [IN] focused on providing older adults with all-encompassing care. ... Exercise bikes, balance bars and massage tables fill a spacious fitness area. A primary care clinic is available in case seniors need to meet with a physician for medical conditions. Camaraderie and friendship is forged with daily activities, music, games and more inside a spacious day center.

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Aligning local marketing strategies with organizational vision

08/16/24 at 03:00 AM

Aligning local marketing strategies with organizational vision Forbes; by Emily Burroughs; 8/15/24 ... In today’s interconnected world, achieving a cohesive and impactful narrative requires that local marketing strategies align with the organization’s broader vision. However, silos within a company can complicate this process, impeding clarity and effectiveness. Here’s how to bridge these gaps and foster a unified message. 

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Study: AI adoption spends jump among enterprises as eliminating data privacy concerns remains a foremost opportunity for driving long-term growth and ROI

08/16/24 at 03:00 AM

Study: AI adoption spends jump among enterprises as eliminating data privacy concerns remains a foremost opportunity for driving long-term growth and ROI BusinessWire, San Francisco, CA; by Kayla Spiess; 8/14/24  Searce, a modern technology consulting firm that empowers businesses to be future-ready, today released its State of AI 2024 report. Polling 300 C-suite and senior technology executives – including Chief AI Officers, Chief Data & Analytics Officers, Chief Transformation Officers, and Chief Digital Officers – from organizations across the US and UK with at least $500 million in revenue, the report examines some of the biggest trends, successes and challenges facing businesses in their decision-making, strategy and execution as they try to unlock AI growth. [Key takeaways:]

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Factors associated with Do Not Resuscitate status and palliative care in hospitalized patients: A national inpatient sample analysis

08/16/24 at 03:00 AM

Factors associated with Do Not Resuscitate status and palliative care in hospitalized patients: A national inpatient sample analysis Palliative Medicine Reports; by Jean-Sebastien Rachoin, Nicole Debski, Krystal Hunter, Elizabeth CerceoIn the United States, the proportion of hospitalized patients with DNR, PC, and DNR with PC increased from 2016 to 2019. Overall, inpatient mortality and LOS fell, but hospital charges per patient increased. Significant gender and ethnic differences emerged. Black patients and males were less likely to have DNR status and had higher inpatient mortality, LOS, and hospital charges.

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Commentary: Prognostication in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

08/16/24 at 03:00 AM

Commentary: Prognostication in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias Journal of the American Geriatrics Society / Early View; by Natalie C. Ernecoff PhD, MPH, Kathryn L. Wessell MPH, Laura C. Hanson MD, MPH; 8/8/24  ... Hospice provides comfort-oriented care, emphasizing patient-tailored elements of quality of life, including time with family, access to nature, and music. In late-stage ADRD, studies show that a majority of families prioritize comfort-oriented treatment, and understanding prognosis may help them align treatments accordingly. Yet, only 15% of people enrolled in hospice with a primary diagnosis of ADRD. This is due to difficulty estimating 6-month prognosis required for hospice eligibility—ADRD carries a prognosis of 12–18 months in the latest stage. While low rates of live discharges from hospice are a regulatory requirement for hospices, people who are increasingly experiencing ADRD progression lose access to those beneficial hospice services. ...

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15 Employee engagement examples to inspire you in 2024

08/16/24 at 03:00 AM

15 Employee engagement examples to inspire you in 2024 Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR); by Andrea Boatman; 8/14/24 Employers should heed Apple’s former Senior VP Angela Ahrendts’ words: “Everyone talks about building a relationship with your customer. I think you build one with your employees first.” But how can HR help foster this relationship? ... Incorporate the examples in this article into your company’s employee engagement plan for positive long-term results. ...

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On-demand talent can push key objectives forward amid an increase in M&A deals

08/16/24 at 03:00 AM

On-demand talent can push key objectives forward amid an increase in M&A deals Forbes; by Sunny Ackerman; 8/14/24 As we settle into the latter half of 2024, mergers and acquisitions and other business transformation initiatives are likely to be top of mind for many business leaders. Consider EY’s May 2024 “Deal Barometer,” which predicts that in the United States, “corporate M&A deal volume will increase 20%.” The firm also estimated that M&A deal volume will increase by 16% in the private equity world. ... Given the projected increase in M&A deal activity, I expect to see an increased need for on-demand talent in 2024 and beyond to push key objectives forward, executing strategic goals to close deals and facilitate seamless transitions post-closure. ...

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Staff education an anchor amid widespread hospice audits

08/16/24 at 03:00 AM

Staff education an anchor amid widespread hospice audits Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 8/14/24 ... More than half of hospice providers reported having multiple types of audits within a six-month span in a survey earlier this year. ... Supplemental Medical Review Contractor (SMRC) and Targeted Probe and Educate (TPE) audits are among the most common types of audits that hospices undergo simultaneously alongside others. ... Staff need a firm understanding around the potential red flags on regulators’ radars and how to avoid common compliance errors in their roles, ... Compliance training should be focused on staff’s overall responsibilities alongside the larger bottom line of quality, she said. ... Notable mentions: Jason Bring, co-chair of post-acute and long-term care at the law firm Arnall Golden Gregory LLP (AGG)l; Megan Turby, vice president of quality and compliance at Gulfside Healthcare Services; Dr. Lisa Barker, chief medical officer at Gulfside Healthcare Services

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Hospice of Greater Cleveland: A new partnership between Judson and McGregor Senior Living Communities

08/16/24 at 02:30 AM

Hospice of Greater Cleveland: A new partnership between Judson and McGregor Senior Living Communities Morningstar, Cleveland, OH; by PR Newswire; 8/15/24 For Judson and McGregor Senior Living Communities, organizational aspirations have always been to provide continuity of care and quality service through our dedicated teams. ... We are pleased to announce that the two organizations have embarked on a new joint venture. ... This strategic partnership, built on the strengths of both organizations, is designed to provide the utmost comfort, dignity, and support to our hospice residents during their end-of-life journey, ensuring a seamless and enhanced experience for all. ... Hospice of Greater Cleveland will begin its work on August 15, 2024. This partnership reflects the ongoing support of our collective organization and the missions that drive our commitment to seniors in Northeast Ohio.

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Health group expands to Presque Isle

08/16/24 at 02:30 AM

Health group expands to Presque Isle The County, Presque Isle, ME; 8/14/24 Andwell Health Partners (formerly Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice) has expanded its hospice services to Aroostook County. “As Maine’s largest non-profit home and community-based healthcare and care management organization, we are driven to meet the growing and evolving needs of individuals and families,” said Ken Albert, president and CEO, Andwell Health Partners, who has deep family roots in Aroostook County. ... Serving all ages of hospice patients, from infancy to those who have lived full lives, Andwell’s hospice services are available to individuals regardless of ability to pay.

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Person-centered, goal-oriented care helped my patients improve their quality of life

08/16/24 at 02:15 AM

Person-centered, goal-oriented care helped my patients improve their quality of life Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine; by Lee A. Jennings and James W. Mold; orignially posted 5/24 issue, again on 8/15/24 When the goal is to help patients improve their quality of life, it makes sense to focus directly on the activities and relationships that are most important to each patient. This can be accomplished most effectively by following a three-step process that includes 1) connecting with the patient around what matters to them, 2) co-creating a goal-oriented plan, and 3) collaborating with patient, family, team members, and consultants to increase the probability of success. Once this approach has been mastered and the necessary systems, processes, and relationships are in place, this should not take more time than a problem-oriented approach, and it will almost certainly be more satisfying for both physician and patient. Editor's Note: Simple. Effective. Meaningful.

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Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation receives $1.2 million impact grant

08/16/24 at 02:00 AM

Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation receives $1.2 million impact grant Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA); August 2024 newsletter, with webpage posted 7/8/24 The Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation (HPNF) is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a transformative $1.2 million impact grant from the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC). The Sandra Lee Schafer Impact Grant, given in memory of the late Sandra Lee Schafer, MN, RN, AOCN®, will empower HPNF to create a legacy of sustainable giving, which will impact the hospice and palliative care community for years to come. “We are deeply honored and grateful to receive this impact grant from HPCC, given in tribute of Sandy,” said Virginia (Ginger) Marshall, MSN, ACNP-BC, ACHPN®, FPCN, chief executive officer of HPNF. Sandra was an unwavering advocate of specialty nursing certification. ... Sandra served as the director of credentialing of the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center from 2004 until her sudden passing in 2018.

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8-year-old boy's dream of skydiving finally comes true after lazy eye led to terminal cancer diagnosis (exclusive)

08/16/24 at 02:00 AM

8-year-old boy's dream of skydiving finally comes true after lazy eye led to terminal cancer diagnosis (exclusive) People; by Angela Andaloro; 8/14/24 "In those moments, he's not a cancer kid," mom Amanda tells PEOPLE of Paxton's big adventures. ... Faced with limited time, Paxton's family are helping make his bucket list dreams, like skydiving, come true and tell PEOPLE about what it means to be able to do so. ... [Click on the title's link to see photos and read more.]

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