Literature Review

NHPCO's CaringInfo program launches new consumer blog, insights NHPCO Press Release; 4/15/24 CaringInfo, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), has launched a new consumer blog, Insights, offering timely and practical content on serious-illness care and services from a variety of perspectives in both English and Spanish. ... CaringInfo also offers more information about advance directives and free advance directives and instructions for all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and Washington DC in both English and Spanish, downloadable as PDF files.

Mayo Clinic Minute: Creating an advance directive for your future well-being

The Maine Death with Dignity Act Annual Report - Data from calendar year 2023 Produced by Data, Research, and Vital Statistics Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Department of Health and Human Services; 4/12/24 In accordance with 22 MRS § 2140(17), the Department of Health and Human Services (Department) [has generated and made available] to the public an annual statistical report of information collected under the Maine Death with Dignity Act. ... This report is for patients who completed a written request for medication to hasten their death in calendar year 2023. Patients who completed the oral request but not a written request within the calendar year will be included in the subsequent year’s report.

Tracking layoffs, closures in healthcare nationwideModern Healthcare; 4/12/24Modern Healthcare is tracking closures and layoffs from health systems, digital health companies, insurers and other related businesses nationwide to better understand how labor costs and concerns are impacting the industry in rural communities and cities alike. 

Pilot program leads to 42 percent reduction in resident falls McKnights Senior Living, by John O'Connor; 4/15/24 A tech-based pilot program has helped Allegro Senior Living reduce resident falls by 42%, the company announced Thursday. As a result, the Grayslake, IL-based firm plans to expand the program to more of its 16 communities. For the pilot, Allegro partnered with SafelyYou. The tech-based firm uses a blend of AI video technology and around-the-clock remote clinical support. The combination helps  detect falls and identify underlying causes.

Potential CMS measure shows divide over quality training standards Modern Healthcare, by Mari Devereaux; 4/12/24 Hospitals may soon be required to provide set quality training to staff as part of a Medicare reporting program, but health systems and advocacy organizations are split on whether the standardization of quality-related skill sets is necessary to improve patient care.

Goals of care among patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers in the last years of life JAMA Network; by Semra Ozdemir, PhD; Isha Chaudhry, MSc, Chetna Malhotra, MD; et al; 4/11/24 Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of patient-caregiver dyads, findings suggested the importance of interventions aimed at reducing discordance in goals of care between patients and caregivers and helping them develop realistic expectations to avoid costly, futile treatments.

Message-based telehealth an increasingly important part of seniors’ healthcare, study findsMcKnights Senior Living, by Aaron Dorman; 4/11/24 Many healthcare experts, and even government agencies, are working to try to expand telehealth coverage for older adults. But much of that work considers telehealth in terms of video and/or phone conversations. E-mails and digital messaging across patient portals, however, also are part of seniors’ healthcare regimen, particularly those who are Medicare beneficiaries, finds a new study published in Health Affairs Scholar. As such, updated telehealth coverage decisions should factor in the time that older adults, their caregivers and clinicians need to exchange these messages, the researchers said.

‘Are nursing homes our only option?’ These centers offer older adults an alternative. Rhode Island Current, by Anna Claire Vollers; 4/12/24PACE centers attract bipartisan interest and, in some states, scrutiny. ... PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) centers provide government-funded medical care and social services to people older than 55 whose complex medical needs qualify them for nursing home care, but who can live at home with the right sort of help. ... Nationally, PACE centers are owned by a variety of health care organizations, including nonprofits, for-profit companies, large health care systems and religious organizations. ... [The] explosive growth has come with challenges ...

Birth and death are the most singular events we experience – and the contemplation of death, as of birth, should be a thing of beauty, not ignobility. – Jacob K. Javits 

Physician coaching by professionally trained peers for burnout and well-being: A randomized clinical trial JAMA Network; by Stephanie B. Kiser, MD, MPH; J. David Sterns, MD, MPH; Po Ying Lai, MS; et al; 4/12/24Findings: In this randomized clinical trial of 138 physicians, participants who received 3 months of coaching by professionally trained physician peers had a statistically significant reduction in interpersonal disengagement and burnout, with improvement in professional fulfillment and work engagement.

2 federal bills look to boost pipeline of healthcare workers McKnights Senior Living, by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 4/12/24 Bills introduced in both houses of Congress may bolster the healthcare workforce if they become law. Both pieces of legislation are supported by LeadingAge. The bicameral Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act is meant to address the shortage of healthcare workers across the country. Specifically, the legislation would help internationally educated healthcare workers overcome barriers to working in the United States ...

Home Healthcare Market worth $383.0 billion by 2028 Iowanews Headlines; 4/11/24 [The] Home Healthcare Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $250.0 billion in 2023 and is poised to reach $383.0 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 8.9% from 2023 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets™. The primary drivers propelling the growth of this market are the aging population, rising healthcare expenditures, and the increased need for home care due to technological advancements in home healthcare.