Literature Review

CMS proposed rule locks in lower prices and fosters innovation for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program CMS.gov; Press Release; 6/12/26 A new proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would establish a permanent framework for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (“Negotiation Program”), creating a more transparent and sustainable process for lowering drug costs for millions of Medicare beneficiaries. The proposed rule would also create greater long-term certainty for drug manufacturers that participate in negotiations. It includes policies for negotiating and renegotiating high-cost, single-source drugs beginning with initial price applicability year 2029, while continuing to support innovation and strengthen the program.

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.

Somerset hospice opening delayed by Medicare move The Tribune-Democrat, Somerset, PA; by Kelly Urban; 6/20/26 Following a ribbon-cutting in May for the reopening of the Somerset inpatient hospice facility, Windber Hospice at Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber has provided an update regarding the facility’s opening timeline. While the facility remains on track to reopen, the opening has been delayed by a recently announced nationwide Medicare enrollment moratorium affecting new hospice enrollments and hospice locations. ... “We know many families have been eagerly anticipating the return of inpatient hospice care in Somerset County, and we share their disappointment in this unexpected delay,” said Richard Sukenik, CEO of Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber. “We are actively working with local, state and federal legislators to seek assistance and ensure they understand the importance of bringing this service back to Somerset County. We will continue pursuing every available avenue to move this project forward while preparing to welcome patients as soon as approval is granted.” [Access to the full article may be limited by a paywall.]

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

Don't be afraid to spend money on traveling. Be afraid of growing old and realizing the only place you traveled was work.

Clinical Artificial Intelligence as a novice nurse: Leadership responsibilities for safe implementationNurse Leader; by Asiah Ruffin; 5/26Clinical artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly integrated into health care environments, influencing clinical workflows, documentation, decision-making, and patient communication. While AI is often introduced as a technical innovation, its implementation presents significant leadership responsibilities related to safety, workforce readiness, and organizational oversight. This commentary proposes an analogy that conceptualizes clinical AI systems as novice nurses—entities that require structured orientation, supervision, feedback, and ongoing development rather than autonomous trust. Using this analogy, the article examines risks associated with premature reliance on AI, including workflow disruption, performance variability over time, and limited user understanding of system capabilities and limitations. The commentary also outlines practical leadership considerations, including investing in workforce education, collaborating with human factors experts, establishing governance processes, and engaging in policy advocacy.

Palliative care or hospice? Flipping the classroom for 1st year pre-clinical medical students with interactive online contentAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Maxwell Vergo, Charles Wang, Lawrence Myers; 5/26Although palliative care competencies appear on USMLE [United States Medical Licensing Examination] examinations, pre-clinical curricula devote minimal time to end-of-life education. We created a 30-minute interactive online module in Articulate 360™ for first year students covering palliative care definitions, eligibility criteria, and care settings. In-class time was restructured to small group case discussions distinguishing primary palliative care, specialty palliative care, and hospice. Correct responses on a palliative care examination question improved from 57% (2020-2021, virtual lecture) to 66%, 67%, and 80% in subsequent years with the flipped intervention. The pre-work engaged students in learning (79-89% agreement), enabled focus on advanced topics during class (73-77% agreement), and was described as interactive and helpful in teacher evaluations.

Pediatric home-based hospice and palliative care: A scoping reviewBMC Palliative Care; by Ellen Davis, Daniel H Grossoehme, Toluwalase Ajayi, Justin N Baker, Pamela S Hinds, Lisa Humphrey, Jill Ann Jarrell, Rachel Thienprayoon, Sarah Friebert; 5/26Pediatric palliative and/or hospice care is provided across a broad spectrum of settings, ranging from inpatient to outpatient to a child's home. Pediatric home-based hospice and/or palliative care teams offer a specialized, interdisciplinary approach to care, allowing children to stay in the home while offering comprehensive support. Common themes emerged [in this review] including studies analyzing models of care, characterizing the population, end-of-life decision making, clinical outcomes of home-based hospice and/or palliative care, costs and economic impact, family experiences, quality domains, specific treatment modalities, and the use of telehealth. Overall, the available literature supported home-based hospice and/or palliative care as an effective model of care, reducing the burden on families, improving quality of life, and allowing families to stay in their preferred setting for care without sacrificing clinical outcomes.

Nurse perceptions of end-of-life care quality across long-term care, home, and social model hospice home settings: A qualitative descriptive studyAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Helen Mavis Farrar, Kelley Easterling Scott; 5/26This qualitative descriptive study explored nursing perspectives on end-of-life care quality across 3 distinct community settings: long-term care facilities, patients' homes, and social model hospice homes. Nurses provide most of the direct end-of-life care in these settings, yet their perspectives remain understudied. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 licensed nurses who had provided end-of-life care across all 3 settings. Analysis revealed 4 major themes: (1) setting-based care disparities, (2) nurses as educators and translators, (3) mediation of caregiver burden across settings, and (4) relationship-based care as foundational for peaceful deaths. Care setting profoundly influenced these nurses' ability to deliver quality end-of-life care. 

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