Literature Review

Could assisted dying be coming to Scotland? BBC, by James Cook; 3/28/24 Scotland could become the first UK nation to provide terminally-ill people with assistance to end their lives if a bill that has been introduced at Holyrood is approved. Supporters of the legislation say it would ease suffering. Opponents worry that some terminally-ill people could feel under pressure to end their lives. 

Why a Texas system hasn't hired a travel nurse in 30 years Becker's Hospital Review, by Kelly Gooch; 3/28/24 Beth Schmidt remembers the last time Fort Worth, Texas-based Cook Children's Health Care System hired a travel nurse, and it was not recently. ... Many hospitals and health systems increased their reliance on travel nurses during the pandemic to fill vacancies. However, a number of organizations are now making efforts to decrease their dependence for financial reasons. ... [This organization has had 15-20 years success with] the Winter Plan, a program ... [that] allows workers to temporarily become Cook Children's employees for four to six months to help augment the health system's nursing staff. 

Physician-assisted deaths reached new high in 2023 The Lund Report, by Anna Del Savio; 3/28/24The most common end-of-life concerns were loss of autonomy, dignity and access to activities that make life enjoyable. A growing number of people said they were concerned about the financial costs of continued medical treatment. ... More than four out of five patients were 65 years or older. The youngest person was 29. The oldest was 102. Two-thirds had cancer. One in 10 had a neurological disease. 

Touching graduation ceremony for Fulton County student at her grandfather’s bedside in hospice WSB-TV 2 Atlanta, by Berndt Petersen; 3/27/24 A graduating senior from Cambridge High School wanted to give her grandfather, who is in hospice care, one last gift. He wanted to attend her graduation ceremony. Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen shares how they brought the ceremony to him.

[Mississippi] Doctors plead with Senate to ‘do right’ and expand Medicaid Mississippi Today, by Sophia Paffenroth; 3/21/24 ...  “I’m calling on the Senate to do right and to come up with a mechanism by which these people can have coverage,” Dr. Randy Easterling, former president of the Mississippi State Medical Association, said. Easterling recounted the story of one working Mississippian named Jimmy who delayed seeking treatment and was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer. He is now on hospice and “probably has two to three weeks to live,” Easterling said. 

Deal or No Deal: The futures of 3 home-based care companiesHome Health Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 3/21/24 Most buyers in home health and personal care are signaling they'll be more active in the M&A market this year. There are three major home-based care deals that have happened, or may happen, in the near-term future. All of them could have significant ripple effects.

How the analytics of care can balance workforce capacity MedCity News, by Derek Streat; 3/19/24 U.S. healthcare is experiencing a supply and demand crisis as it races to keep pace with an aging population amidst a workforce shortage and mounting financial pressures. And the situation appears unlikely to improve anytime soon. In fact, recent projections anticipate a shortfall of 139,000 physicians in the next decade, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. One limiting factor preventing the efficient management of workforce resources is a lack of data interoperability. ... 

Hospice group pushes for clarity in N.Y. state budget as some warm to for-profit care Spectrum News 1; by Susan Arbetter; 3/19/24 New York state has the lowest utilization of hospice in the country, which can be attributed to several factors, including low health literacy rates. But the state’s recent progress in support of end-of-life care may be threatened by something even more insidious: corporate greed. To investigate that issue nationally, a joint request for information was issued by the federal Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Trade Commission into private equity-backed health care and its impact on quality. Yet despite dire warnings, New York state is slowly opening the door to for-profit, private equity-backed hospice care. 

CAHPS Hospice Survey - Quality Assurance Guidelines V10.0: Technical Corrections and Clarifications, March 2024 HospiceCahpsSurvey.org; 3/20/24Subsequent to the release of the CAHPS Hospice Survey Quality Assurance Guidelines V10.0 (QAG V10.0), it has been determined that there is a specific content item that requires correction, addition and/or further clarification. The protocol listed in this document replace the previous release of the content in the CAHPS Hospice Survey Quality Assurance Guidelines V10.0. The items are identified [in the pdf available at the title's link].

Happy Easter!

Hearing with Health and Human Services Secretary BecerraHouse Ways and Means CommitteePublisher's note: CA Representatives Steel (@ 4:01) and Van Duyne (@ 4:14) ask pointed questions of Secretary Becerra regarding hospice fraud, particularly focused on Southern California. Thanks to Sheila Clark, California Hospice & Palliative Care Association, for sharing this link. Also, yesterday (3/20/24) Judi Lund Person, Lund Person & Associates Hospice Consulting, presented on this specific topic at the Nebraska Hospice & Palliative Care Association Annual Conference.

Palliative psychiatry for a patient with treatment-refractory schizophrenia and severe chronic malignant catatonia: case reportAnnals of Palliative Medicine, by Junona Elgudin, Clark Johnsen, Anna Lisa Westermair, Manuel Trachsel; 3/24Palliative psychiatry is an emerging field that suggests a role for palliative interventions in the management of severe and persistent mental illness.

Top ten tips palliative clinicians should know about rural palliative care in the United StatesJournal of Palliative Medicine, by Jack Kimball, Chamika Hawkins-Taylor, Anne Anderson, Debra Gay Anderson, Mary Lou Clark Fornehed, Patricia Justis, Nasreen Lalani, Sarah Mollman, Brandi Pravecek, Julie Rice, Janelle Shearer, Dillon Stein, Salom M. Teshale, and Marie A. Bakitas; 3/24Palliative care improves outcomes, yet rural residents often lack adequate and equitable access. This study provides practical tips to address palliative care (PC)-related challenges in rural communities. Strategies include engaging trusted community partners, addressing cultural factors, improving pediatric care, utilizing telehealth, networking with rural teams including caregivers, and expanding roles for nurses and advanced practice providers.