Literature Review

Sunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!

From the iron lung to artificial intelligence: Integrating new technology into critical care American Journal of Critical Care; by Seo Yoon Lee, Alvin D. Jeffery; 1/26Artificial intelligence technology has emerged rapidly and is being incorporated into the health care delivery system as a new bedside tool. It is vital to maintain a human-centered approach, in which artificial intelligence serves as a tool to augment, not replace, the nuanced judgment of health care professionals. It is crucial to cultivate a critical mindset, continuously validating artificial intelligence outputs against clinical judgment. Integrating artificial intelligence into team workflows, developing clear ethical guidelines, and fostering collaboration between clinicians and data scientists are essential for successful implementation. By proactively preparing for the transition, the critical care community can harness artificial intelligence’s power to improve patient recovery and survival while ensuring that technology remains guided by human expertise and compassion.Assistant Editor's note: All of us in health care, not just those working in critical care, will be faced with decisions about how to incorporate AI into our work. It will likely become an invaluable tool in our day-to-day lives. But AI can only give us ideas, suggestions and enhanced knowledge. It cannot hold the hand of a dying patient or comfort the loved ones who bear witness. Only we can offer the CARE in health care. Empathy, humanness and critical thinking can come only from us.

Later-life friendship in advance care planning: Variation by marital status and genderResearch on Aging; Zheng Lian, Lucie Kalousová; 1/26Friendship is an understudied social context in research on advance care planning (ACP).  Multivariable logistic regressions show that having any friends is associated with greater odds of AD [advance directives] and EOL [end-of-life] discussions. The positive association between emotional support from friends and EOL discussions is more pronounced among never married men, compared to both married individuals and never married women. These findings highlight friendship as a salient social context associated with ACP engagement, particularly among never married men.

A scoping review on aphasia and technology: Exploring mechanisms enhancing quality of lifeQuality of Life Research; by Grace E. Terry, Cassondra Wilson, Gillian Anderson, Stacy M. Harnish; 1/26 People with aphasia are at an increased risk for reduced quality of life (QoL) because of their change in communication abilities. The present study aims to review the current evidence supporting assistive technology as a tool to improve QoL for people with aphasia, while investigating the various mechanisms technology may impact that lead to increased QoL for people with aphasia. This review emphasizes the role mechanisms such as self-management, social interaction, and virtual communication play in improving QoL for people with aphasia, while emphasizing the role technology plays in impacting the function of these mechanisms.  However, for this assistive technology to be impactful, it must be person centered and thoroughly trained based on the current body of evidence.

EV0034 Palliative pain relief: A case study of high-frequency spinal cord stimulation in an end-of-life cancer patientNeuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface; P. Majedi, Dominic Bailey; 1/26A significant proportion of patients with cancer will experience cancer-related pain at some point during their illness. The treatment approach for cancer-related pain is often multifaceted and may necessitate the use of advanced interventional methods, including spinal cord stimulation (SCS). Recent studies have demonstrated the utility and efficacy of SCS techniques in the treatment of cancer-related pain and chemotherapy induced neuropathy. Here, we present a case report on a patient receiving high frequency SCS at 10 kHz for end-stage cancer-related pain.

Effectiveness and impact of telehealth-integrated palliative care for persons living with dementia and their caregiversTelemedicine & e-Health; by Brooke Worster, Lizabeth Kaminoff, Amina Mason, Laura Pontiggia, Kayla Madden, Mackenzie Kemp, Amanda Guth, Nina Diamond, Allison Herens, Kristin Rising, Jeannette Kates; 12/25 In 2024, an estimated 6.9 million Americans aged 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia. Palliative care (PC) can improve quality of life (QOL) and reduce nonbeneficial care, yet persons living with dementia (PLWD) remain underserved. The intervention group [in this study] received up to two telehealth visits with a PC specialist, the patient (if able), and a caregiver (if participating). The intervention group had significantly fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations but no differences in QOL or caregiver burden.

Medicare hospice use patterns among patients with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias compared to those with other terminal diagnoses (Issue Brief).ASPE; Frank, J., Huessard, K., Broyles, I., Frazier, L., Oliveira, I., Haltermann, W., III, Lamont, H., Okafor, M., & Blanco, M.; 9/25Key Points:

Saturday newsletters focus on headlines and research - enjoy!

Vance to lead sweeping anti-fraud task force investigating California Before It's News; Press Release; 2/4/26 Vice President JD Vance is poised to chair a new White House task force aimed at rooting out potential fraud and abuse in government programs in California, according to CBS News. Andrew Ferguson, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, is expected to serve as the task force’s vice chairman and handle day-to-day operations, CBS News reports. President Donald Trump is anticipated to issue an executive order in the coming days to formally establish the group, the news outlet said.

What Salem-area lawmakers are prioritizing for the 2026 session Salem Reporter, Salem, OR; by Rachel Alexander and Hailey Cook; 2/4/26 ... Oregon’s month-long legislative session got underway on Monday, Feb.2. The fast-paced short session occurs in even years. ... Hospice care oversight: SB 1575 would add protections for patients in hospice care. The new rules would include requiring a background check for business owners, ensuring agencies have the financial resources to care for patients and pausing the issuance of new hospice licenses until the state rules are implemented.  Patterson said the change was at the request of the Oregon Hospice and Palliative Care Association. “In other states there has been a lot of fraud and abuse, and we want to prevent that from happening here in Oregon,” she said. 

Mississippi House approves bill to allow medical marijuana use in hospitals for terminally ill patients Marijuana Moment; by Kyle Jaeger; 2/5/26 The Mississippi House of Representatives has approved a bill to allow terminally ill patients to access medical marijuana in hospitals, nursing facilities and hospice centers. About a week after advancing out of the House Public Health and Human Services Committee, the full chamber passed the legislation from Rep. Kevin Felsher (R) in a 117-1 vote on Wednesday. Known as “Ryan’s Law,” an acknowledgement of a young cannabis patient who passed and whose father has since become an advocate for access in hospital settings, the bill is meant to “support the ability of terminally ill qualifying patients to safely use medical cannabis within specified health care facilities.” 

Exploring Artificial Intelligence in hospice and palliative care: An integrative review of technological and clinical Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Tuzhen Xu, PhD, APRN, FNP-C, Caiyi Liu, PhD, BSN, RN, Lin Li, PhD, Dan Song, PhD, RN, Gloria M. Rose, PhD, NP-C, FNP-BC, and Sen Zhu, PhD; 2/4/26 Conclusions: AI holds potential in enhancing timely, patient-centered palliative and hospice care, supporting prognostication, symptom management, and decision-making. Successful integration requires attention to clinician trust, workflow alignment, equity, and ethical considerations. To maximize its impact on underutilization, future research should focus on multicenter validation, representative datasets, ethical deployment, and seamless integration into clinical practice.

DaVita’s strategic investment in Elara Caring aims to transform home-based kidney care Market Chameleon; Press Release; 2/3/26 DaVita has announced a major new partnership, joining forces with Ares Management to invest in Elara Caring—one of the nation’s leading home health providers. ... A standout feature of this partnership is the plan for DaVita and Elara to co-develop a specialized, kidney-focused in-home care model. Leveraging DaVita’s expertise in kidney health and Elara’s reach in home care, the initiative seeks to cut preventable hospitalizations and lower costs for high-acuity patients. For the growing population living with chronic kidney disease, this could open new, personalized options for treatment and stability at home—addressing a consistent challenge in value-based care.