Literature Review

MedPAC Executive Summary - June 2026 report MedPAC; 6/15/26As part of its mandate from the Congress, each June the Commission reports on potential improvements to Medicare payment systems and issues that affect the Medicare program, including changes to health care delivery and the market for health care services. The six chapters of our June 2026 report cover the following topics:

NPHI calls for thoughtful hospice payment reform that rewards high-quality care National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Washington, DC; Press Release; 6/16/26The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI)is calling for thoughtful modernization of the Medicare Hospice Benefit while raising concerns about recommendations contained in a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that could fundamentally alter the hospice benefit and potentially lead to substantial changes in provider reimbursement. NPHI is exploring potential reforms to the current hospice payment structure, including steps to reduce incentives for bad actors and poor-quality care by lowering the hospice aggregate cap, and reallocating dollars within the existing payment methodology to better compensate high-quality, mission-driven providers caring for the sickest patients. NPHI believes these types of reforms would better align reimbursement with patient needs, preserve the core principles of hospice care, and encourage providers to deliver care based on patient need rather than financial incentives. ...

1776-1786: 250 Years - A History of CareHospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; for 6/10/26Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Caregiving stressors and sleep outcomes: Examining group differences among caregivers of persons living with dementia The Journals of Gerontology; by Fei Wang, Seungjong Cho, Anne Conway, Yejin Heo, Christine Lau, Karyne Machry; 5/26Caring for persons living with dementia often involves high levels of physical demands and emotional burden, which may undermine caregivers’ sleep quality. Few studies have examined sleep health among Black caregivers of persons living with dementia, despite the fact that they are underrepresented in dementia research and experience poorer sleep outcomes compared to non-Hispanic White caregivers. Subjective caregiving stressor (i.e., role overload) was positively associated with sleep disturbance. A significant interaction showed that the association between role overload and sleep disturbance was stronger among Black caregivers than in non-Hispanic White caregivers. Findings also suggest that Black caregivers of persons living with dementia may experience greater vulnerability to the adverse role of role overload in relation to sleep.

Knowledge of advance care planning and advance directives among US adults: Implications for health policy and practicePalliative Care & Social Practice; by Anisah Bagasra, Gretchen Agans; 5/26Advance care planning (ACP) is the process of identifying and communicating values and goals in preparation for future shared decision-making in medical settings. Decisions are legally supported by an advance directive (AD) document designating healthcare agent(s) and future medical treatment preferences. Although important, ACP engagement in the United States remains low. Findings indicate persistent gaps in ACP and AD literacy among US adults, along with misconceptions about access, time, and costs that may be contributing to low engagement. Increasing public education and expanding access to knowledgeable professionals may help reduce barriers and promote more equitable engagement in ACP.

[Portugal] Reiki and Therapeutic Touch for symptom burden and quality of life in palliative settings: A systematic reviewPalliative Medicine; by Raquel Pontes-Gomes, Paulo Reis-Pina; 5/26Evidence regarding Reiki and Therapeutic Touch in palliative and end-of-life care remains limited and heterogeneous. Nine studies involving 415 participants were included: five mixed-methods studies, three randomized controlled trials, and one qualitative cross-sectional study conducted in North America (n = 6) and Europe (n = 3). Cancer was the predominant diagnosis.  Some studies reported improvements in symptoms (pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and stress), and in quality-of-life domains (sleep, relaxation, energy, hope, and emotional well-being). Qualitative findings described perceived relaxation, comfort, and emotional support. Further well-designed studies are needed to clarify their potential role in palliative care.

Hold on to what is good. Even if it’s a handful of earth. Hold on to what you must do. Even if it’s a long way from here. Hold on to your life. Even if it’s easier to let go. Hold on to my hand. Even if someday I’ll be gone away from you. ~ Chief Crowfoot, Siksika/Blackfeet, 1830-1890

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Palliative care utilization, advance care planning, and outcomes among older adults with cancer presenting to the emergency department Academic Emergency Medicine; by Meredith Janes, Nancy Wood, Emily Strong, Lisa Smith, Eric Snyder, Sule Yilmaz; 6/17/26 Conclusions: Older adults with cancer presenting to the emergency department (ED) experience high rates of hospitalization, intensive care use, and short-term mortality, yet palliative care remains underutilized. Although advanced care planning (ACP) documentation increased during acute care encounters, these changes often occur with clinical deterioration. The ED offers an opportunity to identify unmet palliative care needs and facilitate earlier integration. 

Helping end-of-life patients helps us live fully BBC News, Bristol, England; by Jonathan Holmes, John Darvall, Sarah Turnnidge; 6/18/26"The reminder that we will all die is very difficult, but also really real, and it's the only truth we all have." Those are the words of 44-year-old Hazel Bulger from Bristol, who has spent the past year visiting her elderly neighbor Eric, 86. Living - in his own words - "in the shadow of cancer", recovering from a recent serious accident and managing alone after the death of his wife, Eric was matched with Bulger by St. Peter's Hospice as a "hospice neighbor." The chiropractor and yoga teacher was inspired to volunteer after losing both her parents suddenly in her twenties, said: "I think opening yourself up to end of life can actually allow you to live fully."

Beyond the pilot trap: how healthcare can scale AI without losing trust MedCity News; by Prashant Sareen; 6/18/26 The question facing healthcare leaders today is no longer whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be transformative, but whether our organizations can transform quickly enough to harness it at an enterprise scale. The industry has moved past the initial excitement of proof-of-concept (POC) success, only to be confronted by a structural chasm: the Pilot Trap. This is the organizational inertia and technical friction that causes successful AI models, brilliant in isolation, to fail spectacularly in the messy reality of production. Now, with enterprises looking to adopt Agentic AI systems that are capable of autonomous reasoning, planning, and task execution—the pressure, and the risk, has multiplied. 

Heritage Home Health Care, Legacy Hospice, Advanced Home Health and Hospice form Ohio joint venture Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 6/18/26 Three Ohio-based home health and hospice providers have launched a joint venture branded as Heritage Home Health and Hospice. The JV — involving Heritage Home Health Care, Legacy Hospice and Advanced Home Health and Hospice — is designed to provide home health and hospice services across the Buckeye State, as well as the Erie, Pennsylvania, region. The legacy organizations will continue to operate as they have been. The JV promises a “deeper understanding of clinical resources,” modernized technology, expanded back-office support and an improved operational infrastructure, a statement from Advanced Home Health and Hospice indicated.