Literature Review

Patient and caregiver satisfaction of a palliative care chronic diseases clinic during COVID lockdowns Chronic Illness; by Xiang Rong Sim, Jade Hudson, Catriona Parker, Fiona Runacres, Peter Poon; 3/20/24, online ahead of print Objectives: To assess the quality assurance of a specialist palliative care clinic focused on chronic diseases and explore the satisfaction and acceptability of the telemedicine model amongst patients and caregivers.Results: ... the most common primary diagnosis was renal failure. Participants rated telemedicine as easier to access than face-to-face appointments due to convenience. Telemedicine was rated highly for future utility, with video consultations being perceived as more useful than telephone consultations. Participants responded overwhelmingly well towards the clinic.

Insurer responses to Change outage fail to impress provider Modern Healthcare, by Nona Tepper and Lauren Berryman; 3/18/24Insurers have modified claims and payment operations amid the Change Healthcare network outage, but providers contend the moves are not enough to address their financial challenges.

Music Therapy intervention to reduce symptom burden in hospice patients: A descriptive study American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Madison H Estell, Kevin J Whitford, Angela M Ulrich, Brianna E Larsen, Christina Wood, Maureen L Bigelow, Travis J Dockter, Kimberly L Schoonover, Amy J Stelpflug, Jacob J Strand, Monica P Walton, Maria I Lapid; 3/19/24 online ahead of printResults: Patients reported a reduction in symptom severity and emotional distress and an increase in QOL. All patients endorsed satisfaction with music therapy, describing it as particularly beneficial for stress relief, relaxation, spiritual support, emotional support, and well-being. Scores on overall QOL and stress were worse for caregivers. 

How the analytics of care can balance workforce capacity MedCity News, by Derek Streat; 3/19/24 U.S. healthcare is experiencing a supply and demand crisis as it races to keep pace with an aging population amidst a workforce shortage and mounting financial pressures. And the situation appears unlikely to improve anytime soon. In fact, recent projections anticipate a shortfall of 139,000 physicians in the next decade, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. One limiting factor preventing the efficient management of workforce resources is a lack of data interoperability. ...

Nurses practicing primarily in care homes ‘improve end-of-life care’ Nursing Times, by Steve Ford; 3/19/24 Nurses and other clinicians who specialise in working in care homes represent an important resource when it comes to improving the quality of end-of-life care for residents, a large US study suggests. Researchers found nurse practitioners working mostly in care homes may decrease the likelihood of residents experiencing stressful hospital admissions and improve the quality of life in their last days. 

Home-focused PACE model continues to gain traction across US Home Health Care News, by Joyce Famakinwa; 3/19/24 A Georgia House Bill that would create a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) was passed by the state senate earlier this month. House Bill 1078 passed in a 49 to 1 senate vote.Specifically, the bill creates a new adult day center licensure exclusion in order to authorize the Department of Community Health to establish and implement PACE in Georgia as part of the state’s medical assistance program. The Department of Community Health would manage the program. 

Private equity-backed consolidation divides physicians Modern Healthcare, by Alex Kacik; 3/18/24 ... Fewer physicians — only 46.7% in 2022 compared with 60.1% in 2012 — work in practices wholly owned by doctors amid struggles to manage reimbursement cuts, regulation and rising expenses. As a result, more physicians are joining health systems, private equity-backed management services organizations and insurers. That trend has spurred research, lobbying groups, regulation and legislation on physician employment models. 

Aging Media Network, a WTWH media company, announces 2024 Aspect Awards WinnersSkilled Nursing News, by Jessica Longly; 3/18/24 Aging Media Network, a WTWH Media company, is proud to announce the 2024 Aspect Awards winners. With more than 60 submissions across the categories of Behavioral Health, Home Health & Home Care, Hospice & Palliative Care, Senior Housing & Senior Living, and Skilled Nursing (SNF), the focus on innovation and creativity is sharper than ever before. [Click on the title's link for the full list. Of note for this newsletter's readers:]

Creating a community-led telehealth approach for supportive cancer care mHealthIntelligence, by Anuja Vaidya; 3/18/24 Tennessee Oncology is joining forces with rural patients to explore strategies for expanding telehealth access to supportive cancer care services. ... The NEST program aims to expand access to palliative care, psychology, and integrative oncology and nutrition services among rural cancer patients in seven Middle Tennessee counties: Robertson, Dickson, Putnam, Dekalb, Warren, Bedford, and Coffee counties.

Health care utilization and opioid use in patients receiving an integrated palliative care intervention for treatment of head and neck cancer compared to a historical control Elsevier, International Journal of Radiation; by F. Rizwan. C. D'Avella, M. Albert, T. King, B. Egleston, T.J. Galloway, M. Chwistek, C. Fang, A. El-jawahri, J.R. Bauman; online access for 4/1/24 release Patients receiving chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) can develop significant symptomology (odynophagia, malnutrition) resulting in frequent hospitalizations and decreased quality of life (QOL) and continue to have chronic symptoms such as dysphagia and/or pain. The integration of a palliative care (PC) team during CRT has the potential to address the high symptom burden and improve QOL.

Legendary healthcare researcher John E. Wennberg, who shaped efforts to reform the nation’s healthcare system, dies at 89Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, by Susan Green; 3/18/24John E. (Jack) Wennberg, MD, MPH, founder and director emeritus of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, the Peggy Y. Thomson Professor in the Evaluative Clinical Sciences Emeritus at the Geisel School of Medicine, and founding editor of the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care, died March 10, 2024. He was 89 years old. “His work pioneered a field that has grown into an entirely new academic discipline in medicine,” Duane Compton, PhD, Geisel School of Medicine dean, says. ... Wennberg focused on improving decision quality by combining better clinical evidence with informed patient preferences. The introduction of shared decision-making between clinicians and patients to preserve warranted variation due to patient preferences is now embedded in health policies across the globe.

Giving hospice patients a dignified end-of-life experience Steve Adubato On the Air, with Charles Vialotti, MD; 3/13/24On--location at Villa Marie Claire Residential Hospice, Steve Adubato is joined by medical director, Charles Vialotti, MD to talk about his personal commitment to hospice care and giving residents and their families a dignified end-of-life experience.