Literature Review

Hospice investors to watch in 2024Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 1/19/24Though the number of hospice M&A deals plummeted in 2023 compared to prior years, deals are still being made, and the industry may see a rebound in 2024.

To tackle financial distress, hospitals, health systems are turning to mergersKFF Health News; 1/19/24Modern Healthcare looks into the phenomenon of rising health care mergers and acquisitions being driven by financial pressures on health providers in the aftermath of the pandemic. Separately, Stateline explains how private equity-backed hospitals can see cutbacks and closures.

Acceptance of digital health technologies in palliative care patientsPalliat Med Rep; by Stefan Wicki, Ian C Clark, Manuel Amann, Sebastian M Christ, Markus Schettle, Caroline Hertler, Gudrun Theile, David Blum; 1/13/24Results: A majority of patients indicated an interest in (69.0%) and positive attitude toward (75.9%) digital health technologies. Nearly all (93.1%) patients believe that digital health technologies will become more important in medicine in the future. Most patients would consider using their smartphone (79.3%) or wearable (69.0%) more often for their health.

StateServ announces acquisition of Delta Care RxPR Newswire; 1/22/2024StateServ, a leading provider of durable medical equipment ("DME") benefit management solutions to the post-acute care market in the United States, has completed its acquisition of Delta Care Rx ("Delta Care"), a national pharmaceutical care provider. Delta Care offers integrated pharmacy benefit management, mail order prescription, sterile/non-sterile compounding, and clinical pharmacist consulting to the hospice and palliative care markets. ... The unique combination forms a leading care-at-home data, technology, and service platform and the industry's first scaled DME and pharmacy solution.

New dementia-focused payment model emphasizes caregiver supportHospice News, by Holly Vossel; 1/18/23Without family caregivers, most hospice and palliative care patients would be unable to receive care in the home. Now, some emerging payment models are including caregiver support as a key component. 

Pals for Life helps animals lend a paw while treating community members with pet therapyABC News, by Nick Iadonisi; 1/19/24Kristen Abbott as Program Director of Pals for Life is bringing pet therapy across the Delaware Valley. She guides animals as they lend a paw, and lift the spirits of our community members. The pets will visit people in various locations, such as "elder care homes...mental health hospitals...hospice centers," said Abbott.

$15 billion win for physicians on prior authorizationAMA, by Kevin B. O'Reilly; 1/18/24Under the leadership of Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a final rule making important reforms to prior authorization to cut patient care delays and electronically streamline the process for physicians. Together, the changes will save physician practices an estimated $15 billion over 10 years, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

How Medicare Advantage, labor, AI will shape home-based care in 2024Home Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 1/18/24Home Health Care News recently spoke with 15 home-based care leaders for our annual “Executive Forecast” articles, which we published at the end of last year. Those executives’ responses covered a wide range of topics, and were surprisingly and refreshingly diverse. But, in the end, a few themes emerged.

Hospital death less likely, hospice more likely for white women with ovarian cancerHealio, by Erin T. Welsh; 1/19/24Women with ovarian cancer from underrepresented groups have a higher likelihood of in-hospital mortality vs. hospice mortality compared with their white counterparts. ... Key takeaways:

New bill would give California parents more control over whether state can store their kid's DNACBS News / TV, by Julie Watts; 1/17/24Should you have the right to know that the state is storing your child's DNA and that researchers or law enforcement may use it without your consent? ... A 2018 statewide CBS News poll found that the majority of new parents did know about the lifesaving test. Three quarters (of new parents) had no idea the state was storing their baby's leftover bloodspots after the required test genetic test was complete.

Healthcare ranks second among industries with workers frustrated by low pay: survey McKnights Senior Living, by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 1/19/24Healthcare workers rank second among those frustrated about their industry’s pay, according to a recent analysis from USA Today Blueprint. ... The research included 3 million Glassdoor reviews of 500 large employers in 25 industries. ... Only workers in the education field are less satisfied with their pay than are workers in healthcare, according to the findings.

‘You can complain about it, or lean in’: Top home health leaders brace for 2024Home Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 1/19/24With the start of a new year, home health leaders are looking ahead, and identifying their top priorities. Some of these areas of focus will directly address last year’s challenges, and some are proactive measures that will place them ahead. At Bayada Home Health Care, these priorities include focusing on the employee experience, as well as clinical model evolution.