Literature Review

Ethics of overtreatment and undertreatment in older adults with cancerBMC Medical Ethics; by Clark DuMontier, William Dale, Anna C. Revette, Jane Roberts, Ameya Sanyal, Neha Perumal, Eric C. Blackstone, Hajime Uno, Mary I. Whitehead, Lewis Mustian, Tammy T. Hshieh, Jane A. Driver, Gregory A. Abel; 7/25This modified Delphi study convened a panel of experts in biomedical ethics and reached consensus that the principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, and autonomy are related to our previously proposed definitions of over- and undertreatment in older adults with cancer. The panel also reached consensus that, in most cases, it is unethical to make a treatment recommendation without (1) formal assessment of patient frailty (e.g., via a geriatric assessment) and (2) the opportunity for a patient to share their values, goals, and/or preferences. The panel did not reach consensus regarding the relationship between justice and over-/undertreatment; however, the panel concluded that justice applies to undertreatment when an oncologist withholds potentially beneficial cancer treatment in an older patient based on their age alone.

[Italy] End-of-life cancer patients’ dignity perception before and during COVID-19 pandemicAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Andrea Bovero, Francesca Cotardo, Erika Tuberosa, Sara Carletto, Francesco Oliva; 8/25The safety and restriction regulations implemented to contain the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted people’s quality of life compromising the perception of dignity. Preserving dignity for end-of-life patients remains a paramount objective in palliative care. This study aimed to compare dignity levels in terminal cancer patients between pre- and during-pandemic periods... Existential Distress, Loss of Purpose and Meaning, Physical Symptoms and Dependency, Social Support PDI subscales and PDI Total score were higher in the during-pandemic group... Social isolation and other restrictions put in place to contain the COVID-19 pandemic may have had a negative impact on the perception of dignity in cancer patients at the end of life.

Estimating the number of services & patients receiving specialized palliative care globally in 2025 Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Stephen R Connor, Eduardo Garralda, Vilma A Tripodoro, Carlos Centeno; 7/28/25 online ahead of print ... In 2025, the estimated number of specialized palliative care service delivery teams worldwide reached approximately 33,700 - representing a 32.7% increase from the 25,000 identified in 2017. Service delivery expanded across all WHO regions except Africa. The estimated number of patients served rose from 7 million in 2017 to approximately 10.4 million in 2025. This figure represents roughly 14% of the total global need for palliative care. ... Despite notable growth in service availability, significant disparities persist, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. While over half of the need appears to be met in high-income countries, only 4.4% is addressed by specialist provision in low and middle-income countries. 

Long COVID and returning to work: A hard and frustrating road Medscape; by Sara Novak; 8/5/25 ... Around 16 million workers have been affected nationwide by long COVID. Many who initially contracted the virus as a result of their jobs are left with the additional burden of proving that they acquired the condition in the workplace. Without it, they may be unable to file a claim for workers’ compensation insurance, which provides benefits to employees who are injured or become ill on the job.

Flight of the Dove celebrates 20 years of riding with purpose Laurens County Buzz, Laurens County, SC; 8/6/25 Not even the rain could dampen the spirit of this year’s Flight of the Dove, as 255 cyclists from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia took to the roads on Saturday, August 2, raising an impressive $52,415 for VIA Health Partners – Laurens County [South Carolina]. ...  Tom Atwood, Vice President of Philanthropy said, “The cause is worth every mile, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who braved the rain to make the 20th anniversary ride a success.” ... Riders were offered multiple route options—14, 30, 50, and 62 miles—as well as a 50-mile “challenge” course with added elevation. 

Go slow and you'll get there fast. ~ Unknown

CIOs’ top 16 emerging technologies Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 8/4/25 Emerging technologies such as AI continue to command CIOs’ attention. Here is the emerging tech prioritized by IT chiefs, according to a global survey of more than 200 CIOs by market researcher Futurum published July 28:

[Updated] DOJ files proposed final judgment on Amedisys, UnitedHealth Merger Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 8/7/25 On Thursday, Amedisys (Nasdaq: AMED) announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Attorneys General of Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey and New York filed a proposed final judgment regarding the UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) planned acquisition of Amedisys. UnitedHealth and Amedisys agreed to the proposed final judgment, which, if approved, would resolve the DOJ’s and states’ opposition to the merger. The proposed judgment would require UnitedHealth and Amedisys to divest at least 164 home health and hospice facilities, including one affiliated palliative care facility, across 19 states, worth approximately $528 million in annual revenue. It would also impose a $1.1 million civil penalty on Amedisys for falsely certifying that it had provided “true, correct and complete” responses under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, according to a DOJ announcement. 

Social Media Watch 8/8/25

[United Kingdom] Hospice staff learn life-saving skillsehospice, UK Edition, Derbyshire, UK; 7/26/25 Treetops Hospice is upskilling all its staff, from nurses to fundraisers, with essential life-saving skills, including CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and defibrillator use, through Basic Life Saving (BLS) training. The hospice, based in Risley, Derbyshire, welcomes hundreds of people through its doors every year. The rollout of the vital BLS training programme reflects the simple truth that anyone, anywhere, can face a medical emergency. ... Phil Shreeve, Director of Clinical Services, explained, “Just because we provide end-of-life care doesn’t mean we ignore medical emergencies.  We have a lot of people on site, including patients, families and carers, staff and volunteers, and even the general public who can walk around our grounds.

Hospitals accused of hiding deaths, storing bodies for months, and not telling families Nurse.org; by Brandy Pinkerton, RN; 7/25/25 Families in the Sacramento area say they spent months, and in some cases years, desperately searching for loved ones who had vanished—only to discover that their remains had been left to decompose, unidentified and forgotten, in an off-site morgue operated by Dignity Health hospitals. Now, a series of lawsuits and regulatory audits allege that one of California’s largest healthcare systems demonstrated “callous, reckless, and outrageous failure” by neglecting to notify families of patient deaths, withholding death certificates, and consigning bodies to languish in storage, compounding the anguish of those left behind. 

Arkansas Hospice to rebrand as LifeTouch Health Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 8/5/25 Arkansas Hospice Family of Care will soon rebrand as LifeTouch Health to better reflect its evolving mix of services. The nonprofit’s rebranding will take effect in October. The move marks a period of revitalization for the hospice provider, according to its recently named President and CEO Brian Bell.

Glendale woman sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for $10.6 million hospice fraud scheme involving kickbacks for patients United States Attorney's Office - Central District of California, Los Angeles, CA; Press Release; 8/5/25 A Glendale woman was sentenced today to 108 months in federal prison for participating in a scheme in which hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal kickbacks were paid and received for patient referrals that resulted in the submission of approximately $10.6 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for purported hospice care. Nita Almuete Paddit Palma, 75, of Glendale, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee, who also ordered her to pay $8,270,032 in restitution.