Literature Review

Dr. El-Jawahri on the impact of palliative care on end-of-life care for AML and MDS OncLive; by Areej R. El-Jawahri, MD; 8/12/24 Areej El-Jawahri, MD, associate director, Cancer Outcomes Research and Education Program, director, Bone Marrow Transplant Survivorship Program, associate professor, medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses findings from a multi-site, randomized trial (NCT03310918) investigating a collaborative palliative oncology care model for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) receiving nonintensive therapy at 2 tertiary care academic hospitals. Patients in the study who received the palliative care interventions had a median of 41 days from end-of-life care discussions to death, compared with 1.5 days in the standard care group (P < .001). Additionally, patients who received the palliative care interventions were more likely to articulate their end-of-life care preferences and have these preferences documented in electronic health records, El-Jawahri begins. This documentation correlated with fewer hospitalizations in the final 30 days of life, she notes. Furthermore, palliative care recipients experienced QOL improvements and a trend toward reduced anxiety symptoms vs the patients who received usual care, El-Jawahri says. These findings underscore the necessity of integrating palliative care as a standard of care for patients with AML and high-risk MDS, El-Jawahri emphasizes.

Helpful, harmful, or illegal: Can your patients really record you? — The pros and cons of recording doctorsMedPage Today; by Max Feinstein; 8/9/24My name is Max Feinstein and I'm an anesthesiologist in New York City. I'm not a lawyer, but as a physician and a content creator, I think it's really important for both patients and healthcare providers to have a good understanding of when it's okay to record audio or video in the hospital. The term "wiretap laws" refers to statutes that govern audio and video recordings made of face-to-face conversations, telephone calls, or video calls. These laws vary from state to state. Where states that have one-party consent laws means that only one person who is in the area that's being recorded has to provide consent... Thirty-seven states in the United States have one-party consent laws. This contrasts with all-party consent, meaning, as the name implies, that everyone who is involved with the recording has to provide their consent. Violation of these laws may result in fines up to $100,000 and possibly jail time as well. Wiretap laws are not the same thing as HIPAA, which you might have heard about before... In addition to wiretap laws, many hospitals also have policies in place specifically describing what is and is not allowed as far as recording is concerned...Publisher's note: Nearly everyone has a recording device (i.e., a smartphone). Does your organization have recording policies?

Standing out in the palliative care competitive landscapeHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 8/96/24Palliative care providers need to focus on their specific organization’s specific strengths in order to stand out from a broad range of competitors. Seriously ill patients often have multiple chronic conditions that require a flexible and individualized palliative care delivery approach, according to Rachel Dedes, senior director of palliative care at NorthStar Care Community. Marketing and outreach efforts need careful consideration when differentiating how a palliative care program can help address a wide range of patients’ physical, psychosocial, emotional, spiritual and practical needs, Dedes said during the Hospice News Sales & Marketing webinar series.

Making your Customer Experience [CX] investment strategy work CMSWire [not to be confused with CMS=Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services]; by Jeb Dasteel, Amir Hartman, Brian P. O'Neill and Marc Madigan; 8/12/24 Uncover the key elements of a successful customer experience strategy, from capability planning to aligning with core business objectives. ... Investing in a customer experience strategy is fraught with complications and feelings. Most of us in the world of CX are here because we believe that thoughtful CX spending will make an impact on the performance of our company.Editor's Note: This article is written for a much larger scope than our hospice and palliative readership. However, it highlights the importance of tying "customers' experiences" to the company/organization's core goals and business objectives. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' CAHPS Hospice Compare Scores [not to be confused with this CMSWire source] reflect the hospice "customer experience," from the perspective of the bereaved caregiver. While the CMS Hospice Compare site sorts these public information scores alphabetically (per location and organization), our newsletter's sponsor Hospice Analytics' National Hospice Locator sorts this same data by the highest scores, for the purpose of helping the public "consumer" find the hospice that will provide them with the best "customer experience."

WellSky CEO Bill Miller: Exercise caution, responsibility with AI in hospice Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/12/24 Many expect AI to revolutionize health care, speeding access to care, improving diagnosis and prognosis, enhancing efficiency and achieving other benefits. However, providers need to see through the hype and ask the hard questions. This is according to Bill Miller, CEO of the health care tech company WellSky. ... Hospice News sat down with Miller to discuss current perspectives on AI, its potential benefits and possible risks. [Miller:] "... we’re exercising responsibility and caution when we start thinking about AI jumping into the diagnosis game, or somehow replacing the caregiver. We think of it more of how you could enhance the caregiver, keep the human in the loop. If we can help caregivers arrive at better outcomes for their patients by using AI tools and assisting them, then we’ll do that."

Fearless hospice patient takes joyrideWest Valley View (AZ); by Lin Sue Flood; 8/7/24Don Tamuty, a beloved former Madison Unified School District teacher, had one thing left on his bucket list. The 95-year-old shared with his hospice nurse, Monisha Roe, that he would love to ride in a driverless car. Monisha and the rest of Don’s Hospice of the Valley care team knew exactly how to fulfill that wish! They booked a driverless cruise on Waymo One to take Don out to a nice restaurant.

New England hospital CEOs warn lawmakers of crisis in rural health care systemMainebiz; by Laurie Schreiber; 8/8/24MaineHealth’s CEO was one of three in the Northeast who recently told federal lawmakers that rural health care systems are in crisis. “As a family physician by training, it has been difficult to watch our rural communities struggle to maintain access to high-quality care for their residents,” said Dr. Andrew Mueller. “Our proposals align with, and support, our MaineHealth vision of ‘working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.’”

Home Instead Totton launches expedited home care service to meet growing needsKMLK (AR) press release; 8/7/24Home Instead Totton has announced the launch of its new expedited home care service... This new service aims to cut down waiting times, helping clients get the care and support they need quickly and efficiently. The service is designed to meet various needs of the local community, offering a wide range of home care options. These include home visits, specialised care, health care, and live-in care. Each service is designed to address specific client needs, from daily activities to complex health conditions.Publisher's note: Is there need / opportunity for "expedited" hospice care?

Palliative care is important in managing cardiovascular diseaseNJToday; 8/8/24Implementing patient-centered palliative care therapies, including prescribing, adjusting or discontinuing medications as needed, may help control symptoms and improve quality of life for people with heart disease, according to “Palliative Pharmacotherapy for Cardiovascular Disease,” a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association, published in the journal, Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

Rescue from above: How drones may narrow emergency response timesKFF Health News; by Michelle Andrews; 7/22/24Starting in September, if someone in Clemmons, North Carolina, calls 911 to report a cardiac arrest, the first responder on the scene may be a drone carrying an automated external defibrillator, or AED. “The idea is for the drone to get there several minutes before first responders,” such as an emergency medical technician or an ambulance, said Daniel Crews, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office in Forsyth County, where Clemmons is located. The sheriff’s office is partnering on the project with local emergency services, the Clinical Research Institute at Duke University, and the drone consulting firm Hovecon. “The ultimate goal is to save lives and improve life expectancy for someone experiencing a cardiac episode,” Crews said.Publisher's note: As with all things tech, when and how might drones be used in hospice?

Butte hospice workers help patients focus on livingKBZK7 (MT); by Meagan Thompson; 8/7/24Hospice care is generally seen as a last resort for the end of life but for Bonnie Dwyer and her husband John, the hospice care she has been receiving has provided reassurance and even joy... Leighann McCauley, the director of nursing at Honeybee Hospice was on call the weekend Bonnie’s condition became severe. Thanks to some quick thinking and creativity, McCauley and her team addressed the wound and her continuing care with the Honeybee staff has made a difference in her life.

Hospice chaplain accused of sexually assaulting woman at Sacramento County care facilityKCRA (Sacramento, CA); by Lindsay Weber; 8/8/24A Placer County man was arrested on Thursday, accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a care facility he worked for as a hospice chaplain, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said. The sheriff's office said Arthur Apgar was arrested for four counts of sexual battery against a person who is seriously disabled or medically incapacitated. Apgar worked for a private company that contracts with hospice facilities, officials said. The assault happened within the past week and was captured on surveillance video.