Literature Review

Most palliative care nurses feel unable to meet patient needsNursing Times, by Ella Devereaux; 1/4/24Junior health staff are having to make complex decisions about end-of-life care, due to a lack of out-of-hours palliative care nursing services, a new report has warned. The report, published by the Queen’s Nursing Institute and the Marie Curie Charity, has assessed how end-of-life care has changed over time and some of the issues that continue to impact the efficiency of services.

5 Healthcare trends that will shape 2024MedCity News, by Holly Miller; 1/5/24

Terminally ill Connecticut woman ends her life on her own terms, in VermontAP US News, by Lisa Rathke; 1/4/24A Connecticut woman who pushed for expanded access to Vermont’s law that allows people who are terminally ill to receive lethal medication to end their lives died in Vermont on Thursday.

7 health tech predictions for 2024McKnights Home Care, by Patrtick Tarnowski; 1/4/24

I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious. ~Albert Einstein, 1952

Bank employees go above and beyond—Donations exceed $100,000 in 2023PRNewswire; 12/28/23Lake City, FL—First Federal Bank is pleased to announce the success of its 2023 First Federal Way campaign, which received contributions of $50,430 from employees. With the bank’s match, a total of $100,900 is being donated to local non-profit agencies who make a significant difference in their communities.

New residential end-of-life facility opens in central PAPatriot-News (Harrisburg, PA); 12/26/23Chambersburg, PA—Mercy House of Chambersburg has opened at 730 Norland Ave. in Chambersburg. Mercy House was formed last year and partners with local hospice agencies in providing care for those who need 24-hour assistance and who are unable to remain at home.

Hospice patient enjoys fishing adventureHickory Daily Record; 12/30/23Carolina Caring’s compassionate hospice and palliative care empowers patients to make the most of each day as they navigate serious illness. One patient, Barbara, has been under hospice care with Carolina Caring and has shared ... with her nurse, Kelly Avery, and social worker, Megan Elmore ... that her fondest memories were of fishing with her family on Lake Hickory. After being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic heart failure, Barbara’s symptoms were getting increasingly harder to manage. She went from fishing once a week to once a month, to not having fished in over two years. ... Thanks to multiple visits a week from her Carolina Caring care team, Barbara was able to build the confidence to once again cast her line and enjoy the great outdoors. ... Kelly and Megan coordinated with the Carolina Caring Volunteer and Foundation Departments to secure fishing licenses and gather together a spread of Barbara’s favorite foods at Dallas Park & Recreation ponds. For just the second time in the past year, Barbara left the house.

Rosalynn Carter’s impact on caregiversKevin MD Blog, by R. Lynn Barnett; 12/25/23... As caregivers, we are the voice for others, but we also need to be a voice for ourselves. ... I wasn’t prepared, as many people aren’t, for the fiscal and physical aspects of caregiving. ... The toll that caregiving can take is often underrated, understated, and under-appreciated. ... Rosalynn Carter was known as a “Steel Magnolia,” showing the same inner fortitude and mettle, combined with grace, of the main characters in the film of the same name. I think all of us caregivers become steel magnolias. It’s not that we deserve a medal for our actions; we just deserve a little peace.[Editor's Note, Joy Berger for Hospice and Palliative Care Today: Rosalynn Carter founded the Institute for Caregiving 35 years ago, preparing for the surge of Baby Boomers' aging and caregiving needs. Her memorable quote lives on: "There are only four kinds of people in the world--those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers." Visit www.rosalynncarter.org for more information.]

Measuring the impact of AI in the diagnosis of hospitalized patientsJAMA Network, by Sarah Jabbour, MSE; David Fouhey, PhD; and Stephanie Shepard, PhD; Thomas S. Valley, MD; Ella A Kazerooni, MD, MS; Nikola Banovic, PhD; Jenna Wiens, PhD; Michael W. Sjoding, MD; 12/23In this multicenter randomized clinical vignette survey study, diagnostic accuracy significantly increased by 4.4% when clinicians reviewed a patient clinical vignette with standard AI model predictions and model explanations compared with baseline accuracy. However, accuracy significantly decreased by 11.3% when clinicians were shown systematically biased AI model predictions and model explanations did not mitigate the negative effects of such predictions.

Disparities in election, access, and outcomes in Medicare end-of-life care: A national studyInnovation in Aging, by Thomas Christian, Michael Plotzke, Mariana Sarango Cancel, Catherine Hersey, and Zinnia Harrison; 12/23We examined whether end-of-life care racial disparities persist even within groups with similar geographic access and health care options. We reviewed calendar year (CY)2021 fee-for-service Medicare claims to determine if a beneficiary ever: elected hospice, had an end-of-life care conversation with their physician, and/or received advanced care planning services. ... We found no substantial racial/ethnic disparities in recorded advance care plans or end-of-life conversations.

Racial and ethnic differences in hospice use among Medicaid-only and dual-eligible decedentsJAMA Health Forum, by Julie Robison, Noreen Shugrue, Ellis Dillon, Deborah Migneault, Doreek Charles, Dorothy Wakefield, Bradley Richards; 12/23Hospice care enhances quality of life for people with terminal illness and is most beneficial with longer length of stay (LOS). Most hospice research focuses on the Medicare-insured population. Little is known about hospice use for the racially and ethnically diverse, low-income Medicaid population.

I want to be seen as myself: Needs and perspectives of persons with dementia concerning collaboration and a possible future move to the nursing home in palliative dementia careAging & Mental Health, by Chandni Khemai, Judith M. Meijers, Sascha R. Bolt, Sabine Pieters, Daisy J. A. Janssen, Jos M. G. A. Schols; 12/23Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) within and during movements between care settings is crucial for optimal palliative dementia care. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of persons with dementia regarding collaboration with and between healthcare professionals (HCPs) and their perceptions of a possible future move to the nursing home (NH) in palliative dementia care.