Literature Review

Google Cloud releases new clinical generative AI tools at HIMSS24MedCity News, by Katie Adams; 3/12/24 At HIMSS, Google Cloud announced new AI features designed to assist providers, payers and any other healthcare organizations seeking to make better use of their clinical data.

Poem: I knew you had been sick for quite a while. I had no idea you were walking your last mile.The Andalusia Star News, by Vickie C. Wacaster, "a patient and hospice advocate for Aveanna Hospice"; 3/14/24. This poem is at the end of an article, "COLUMN: Hospice helps make most of all moments."I knew you had been sick for quite a while. I had no idea you were walking your last mile. Had I known your time was so near, Despite my fear, I would have talked more, touched more, and loved more. I asked about your care, your prognosis, your life, Why couldn’t they tell me? I was your wife. Or was I in denial? Did someone try to tell me? Did I refuse to hear? Could I not see? Did I refuse to accept? Your diagnosis and prognosis, did I reject? Was it because of unbelief? That death snatched you as a thief.We could have made the most of the time you had left, If only we had not been afraid of what we felt.

Doctor with terminal cancer shares the three things everyone should consider doing to prepare for deathYour Tango, by Alexandra Blogier; 3/12/24Kim is a resident doctor who was diagnosed with metastatic sarcoma when she was 28 years old. She invites people to see what her life is like, as both a medical resident and a cancer patient, focusing on the practice of gratitude and being present. ... Kim revealed the three most important things she’s done as a cancer patient to get the administrative side of her affairs in order, which she recommends everyone do, even if they're not sick.

In the resuscitation discussion, do words matter between doctors and patients? Rutgers, by Patti Zielinski; 3/12/24Rutgers Health researchers seek to reduce barriers to physicians having code status conversations with older adults. ... The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, sought to determine the best language doctors could use when discussing a patient’s code status to reduce the barrier to having these conversations. It found that it takes less than five minutes on average for doctors to have discussions going over what CPR is, what a patient’s preference might be and making a decision that patients felt comfortable with regarding whether they want to be resuscitated, according to the study.Editor's Note: Click on the title above for the summary description; click here for the detailed research article, "Aligning patient values and code status: Choice of Diction's Effect (CODE) study.

Medicaid Fraud Control Units Fiscal Year 2023 Annual ReportU.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; 3/14/2024Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs or Units) investigate and prosecute Medicaid provider fraud and patient abuse or neglect. [This 32 page, downloadable document includes:]

All-inclusive senior care center opens first Florida facility in Tampa Tampa Beacon, by Mike Camunas; 3/11/24 It’s a one-stop shop for senior medical services — and social activities. On March 4, InnovAge unveiled its new, state-of-the-art Senior Care Center in Tampa, marking the medical service provider’s first facility in Florida. The 33,500-square-foot facility in a renovated building provides doctor visits, dental care, social activities, and even transportation for seniors. The facility ... can serve up to 1,300 patients or participants through PACE, or Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, a Medicare and Medicaid program that helps people meet their health care needs in the community instead of going to a nursing home or other care facility.

The U.S. prison population is rapidly graying. Prisons aren’t built for what’s coming Wisconsin Public Radio, by Meg Anderson; 3/12/24 ... "You don't usually build prisons with nursing home-type housing." The proportion of state and federal prisoners who are 55 or older is about five times what it was three decades ago. In 2022, that was more than 186,000 people. ... Prison systems across the U.S. have a constitutional obligation to provide adequate health care, and they’re racing to figure out how to care for the elderly in their custody — and how to pay for it.Editor's Note: This article provides current data and focuses on nursing home type care. For depth information, pair this data with a clinical journal chapter, "Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Prison" - Aston, L. (2023). Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Prison. In: Brooke, J. (eds) Nursing in Prison . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30663-1_8

What are important ethical implications of using Facial Recognition Technology in health care? AMA Journal of Ethics, by Nicole Martinez-Martin, JD, PhD; orig post 2/24, redistributed 3/13/24Applications of facial recognition technology (FRT) in health care settings have been developed to identify and monitor patients as well as to diagnose genetic, medical, and behavioral conditions. The use of FRT in health care suggests the importance of informed consent, data input and analysis quality, effective communication about incidental findings, and potential influence on patient-clinician relationships. Privacy and data protection are thought to present challenges for the use of FRT for health applications.

Few hospitals follow recommended practices for evidence-based suicide care Pew, by Farzana Akkas; 3/12/24 In 2022, suicide claimed the lives of an estimated 49,449 people in the United States. ... Research has shown that almost half of those who die by suicide interact with the health care system within four weeks of their deaths. And those who are hospitalized for suicide risk face an elevated risk of dying by suicide post-discharge, making this a critical time for these patients to have access to resources, support, and care that can keep them safe in the event of a suicidal crisis. But new research shows that only 8% of hospitals in the U.S. have instituted all the key components of evidence-based, best-practice interventions to help at-risk patients who are discharged after receiving care. In fact, more than 1 in 4 are not conducting any of these interventions.

Celebrating Hospice & Palliative Social Workers: March is Social Work Month!The National Association of Social Workers' 2024 theme for Social Work Month is Empowering Social Workers! Click here for information and ideas.

Antidepressant prescribing practices of pediatric palliative care providers Journal of Palliative Medicine, by Teresa Venta; 3/12/24 Objective: This study seeks to describe the antidepressant prescribing practices of PPC providers and describe their level of training and comfort in assessing for anxiety and depression and prescribing psychotropic medications. Conclusions: Limited training in assessing mental health concerns, prescribing, and managing psychopharmacology suggests an opportunity for more targeted education for pediatric PC providers regarding antidepressant prescribing practices.

'It's been really inspiring': Grace House continues end-of-life care despite challenges Akron Beacon Journal, by Kelsie Horner; 3/13/24Through a flood and financial challenges, an Akron nonprofit has continued to provide end-of-life care and companionship for people who might otherwise die alone. Since opening its doors 1½ years ago, Grace House has cared for 66 residents during their final days. ... Grace House is one of only three organizations in the nation to provide free, “non-barrier” end-of-life care for people who are unhoused or alone.

Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.  ―  Wayne W. Dyer