Literature Review

Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare to merge with National Alliance for Care at Home Home Health Care News; by Audrie Martin; 1/17/25 The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (PQHH) will shut down effective March 1. The PQHH board of directors will join efforts with the National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) to create a stronger and unified voice for the industry. By collaborating with the Alliance, the PQHH board aims to enhance advocacy on public policy and regulatory issues impacting the home health community. Their goal is to promote a health care system that acknowledges home health’s vital role in providing compassionate, value-driven care. ... Since its founding in 2010, PQHH has represented community — and hospital-based home health care agencies, working in partnership with government officials to ensure access to high-quality home health care. This mission was at the forefront of their decision to close.

Hospice of the Chesapeake expands inpatient care with high-flow oxygen therapy Southern Maryland News Net; by Hospice of the Chesapeake; 1/13/25 Hospice of the Chesapeake is proud to announce the addition of high-flow oxygen therapy to its inpatient care centers, enhancing the quality of care for patients with complex respiratory needs. ... High-flow oxygen therapy is designed to deliver precise oxygen levels, improving breathing efficiency and overall comfort for patients. ... “Adding high-flow oxygen therapy to our inpatient care centers represents our commitment to providing comprehensive, patient-centered care,” said Dr. Sonja Richmond, Vice President of Medical Affairs & Hospice Medical Director. “This advancement enables us to better meet the needs of our patients and their families during a challenging time.”

Increasing Medicaid rates: A critical step to support home-based care Association Press, North Salt Lake, UT; by Business Wire; 1/14/25To address the growing challenges facing the healthcare system, the Homecare and Hospice Association of Utah (HHAU) calls for an urgent increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers, Private Duty Nursing (PDN), and Home Health. These critical services form the backbone of home-based care, enabling individuals to receive the medical attention and support they need in their homes, while saving tax dollars and alleviating strain on hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Physician engagement in addressing health-related social needs and burnoutJAMA Network Open; Masami Tabata-Kelly, MBA, MA; Xiaochu Hu, PhD; Michael J. Dill, MA; Philip M. Alberti, PhD; Karen Bullock, PhD, LICSW, APHSW-C; William Crown, PhD; Malika Fair, MD, MPH; Peter May, PhD; Pilar Ortega, MD; Jennifer Perloff, PhD; 12/24In this cross-sectional study of 5,447 nationally representative physicians in the US, 34.3% regularly dedicated time to addressing HRSNs [health-related social needs]. The study identified variability in physicians’ engagement in addressing HRSNs and found that higher engagement was associated with a greater likelihood of burnout. The findings suggest the need for thorough assessment of the potential unintended consequences of physicians’ engagement in addressing HRSNs on their well-being.

Introduction: ‘Those who have made death their life’The Daily Yonder - Keep It Rural; by Hannah Clark; 1/15/25 Hannah Clark spent six months riding along with the nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) of Hearth Hospice who provide in-home care to those living in Northwest Georgia and Southeast Tennessee. These hospice workers often drive up to a hundred miles a day to visit a handful of patients scattered across the Appalachian landscape in both rural towns and urban centers. What will follow this introductory essay is her photo reportage in three parts, documenting what she has witnessed accompanying these caregivers. The intimate portraits and vignettes show tender moments at different stages towards the end of one’s life. Their beauty lies in the companionship Clark captured in moments of need and vulnerability. Editor's note: Crucial protocols used for this photographer are worth highlighting. "Before I began working with nurses, I went through a background check, drug screening, and volunteer training. Written permission was given by each household. When patients could not consent due to certain conditions such as Alzheimer’s or Dementia, or patients were non-responsive or actively passing, permission was granted by their power of attorney."

Special Bulletin – CA Wildfires Public Health EmergencyCommunity Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP); Special Bulletin; 1/14/2025 HHS Declares Public Health Emergency for California to Aid Health Care Response to Wildfires. The declaration follows President Biden’s major disaster declaration and gives the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting the emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. HHS has waived sanctions and penalties for violations of certain provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule against hospitals in the emergency area. [Click on the title's link to continue reading]

How to help people impacted by the California firesNBC News - Today Show; by Becca Wood; 1/8/24, updated 1/12/24... As homes burn to the ground and people seek shelter, various charities and organizations are working to provide help on the ground. For those looking for ways to help, NBC News has reviewed and vetted organizations that are aiding in relief efforts. Here is a list of verified charities. Click on the names of each for more information how to help.

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

Current use and evaluation of artificial intelligence and predictive models in US hospitalsHealth Affairs; by Paige Nong, Julia Adler-Milstein, Nate C. Apathy, A. Jay Holmgren, Jordan Everson; 1/25Effective evaluation and governance of predictive models used in health care, particularly those driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, are needed to ensure that models are fair, appropriate, valid, effective, and safe, or FAVES. We analyzed data from the 2023 American Hospital Association Annual Survey Information Technology Supplement to identify how AI and predictive models are used and evaluated for accuracy and bias in hospitals. Hospitals use AI and predictive models to predict health trajectories or risks for inpatients, identify high-risk outpatients to inform follow-up care, monitor health, recommend treatments, simplify or automate billing procedures, and facilitate scheduling. We found that 65 percent of US hospitals used predictive models, and 79 percent of those used models from their electronic health record developer.Publisher's note: It would be interesting if hospices collected and reported similar information.

Development and outcomes of a provider-driven, online continuing education program on integrative palliative care: Randomized controlled trialGlobal Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health; William Collinge, PhD, MPH; Leila Kozak, PhD; Scott Mist, PhD, MAcOM; Robert Soltysik, MS; 1/25While conventional medicine excels in emergency and acute care, complementary therapies are increasingly being integrated into efforts for symptom management and quality of life (QoL) in hospital, hospice and nursing home environments. The term “complementary” denotes a cooperative or collaborative relationship between conventional and unconventional modalities, and when such integration takes place, the terms “complementary” and “integrative” are commonly used interchangeably. Hospices have been early adaptors of such therapies with surveys in various states showing between 60-90% of hospices offering these modalities. This provider-driven CE/CME program led to significant positive changes in practitioners’ self-efficacy and implementation of integrative care practices in PC settings. The results indicate that CE/CME can have measurable impacts that benefit providers and may potentially impact patients, families and the culture of care.

Preferred and actual location of death in adolescents and young adults with cancerJAMA Network Open; by Oreofe O. Odejide, Colin Cernik, Lauren Fisher, Lanfang Xu, Cecile A. Laurent, Nancy Cannizzaro, Julie Munneke, Robert M. Cooper, Joshua R. Lakin, Corey M. Schwartz, Mallory Casperson, Andrea Altschuler, Lori Wiener, Lawrence Kushi, Chun R. Chao, Jennifer W. Mack; 1/14/25In this cohort study of 1929 adolescent and young adult (AYA) decedents, 1226 (63.6%) had a documented discussion about their preferred location of death, with home being most frequently desired. Among these, 224 of 317 (70.7%) who wanted to die at home were able to do so, as were 164 of 172 (95.3%) who preferred a hospital death. The fact that over a quarter of AYA patients with cancer who preferred to die at home were unable to do so suggests a need for effective interventions to improve goal-concordant end-of-life care for AYA patients with cancer.

Sociodemographic disparities in the use of hospice by U.S. nursing home residents: A systematic reviewAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; Christine E. DeForge, PhD, RN, CCRN; Hsin S. Ma, MPP, MA; Andrew W. Dick, PhD; Patricia W. Stone, PhD, RN, FAAN, CIC; Gregory N. Orewa, PhD; Lara Dhingra, PhD; Russell Portenoy, MD; Denise D. Quigley, PhD, MA; 1/25 Hospice can improve end-of-life (EOL) outcomes in U.S. nursing homes (NHs). However, only one-third of eligible residents enroll, and substantial variation exists within and across NHs related to resident-, NH-, or community-level factors. Studies adjusting for resident-, NH-, and community-level factors found lower hospice use among male residents, Black/Non-White residents, and residents of rural NHs, with mixed results by payor and ownership. Results were mixed for hospice referral and length-of-stay. These findings suggest complex influences on NH hospice use.