Literature Review
New Federal Health IT Strategy sets sights on a heathier, more innovative, and more equitable health care experience
04/01/24 at 03:00 AMNew Federal Health IT Strategy sets sights on a heathier, more innovative, and more equitable health care experienceU.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 3/28/24The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), today released the draft 2024–2030 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan (the draft Plan) for public comment. The draft Plan:
Kaiser Permanente, Town Hall ventures to launch PACE Program ‘Habitat Health’
04/01/24 at 03:00 AMKaiser Permanente, Town Hall ventures to launch PACE Program ‘Habitat Health’ Home Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 3/27/24 Kaiser Permanente and an investment firm are teaming up to launch a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) venture. Specifically dubbed Habitat Health, Kaiser and Town Hall Ventures will begin building out the program in California in 2025 – in Sacramento and Los Angeles.
Touching graduation ceremony for Fulton County student at her grandfather’s bedside in hospice
04/01/24 at 02:00 AMTouching graduation ceremony for Fulton County student at her grandfather’s bedside in hospice WSB-TV 2 Atlanta, by Berndt Petersen; 3/27/24 A graduating senior from Cambridge High School wanted to give her grandfather, who is in hospice care, one last gift. He wanted to attend her graduation ceremony. Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen shares how they brought the ceremony to him.
[UPDATED] CMS 2025 proposed rule signals changes to quality measurement, omits program integrity actions
04/01/24 at 02:00 AM[UPDATED] CMS 2025 proposed rule signals changes to quality measurement, omits program integrity actionsHospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/29/24In a proposed rule released [Thursday], the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a 2.6% increase in hospice per diems for 2025. The agency also proposed two new quality measures and 2025 implementation of the Hospice Outcome and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) assessment tool to replace the Hospice Item Set.However, stakeholders in the hospice space contend that the increase is insufficient in light of continued inflation, interest rates, staffing shortages and wage hikes.
HHS Secretary Becerra: We’re with you on telehealth flexibilities
03/31/24 at 03:50 AMHHS Secretary Becerra: We’re with you on telehealth flexibilities Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/21/24 Telehealth flexibilities must become permanent U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra indicated in a congressional hearing [Wed]. At the end of this year, telehealth flexibilities implemented during the pandemic are slated to expire. In a hearing before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Becerra said that HHS was willing to make them permanent. However, he said this would require closer collaboration with state governments. “We’re with you. We can’t allow those flexibilities to expire, and we need to work closer with our state partners, because much of the flexibility that comes from telehealth means being able to go over state lines,” Becerra said.
[Mississippi] Doctors plead with Senate to ‘do right’ and expand Medicaid
03/31/24 at 03:45 AM[Mississippi] Doctors plead with Senate to ‘do right’ and expand Medicaid Mississippi Today, by Sophia Paffenroth; 3/21/24 ... “I’m calling on the Senate to do right and to come up with a mechanism by which these people can have coverage,” Dr. Randy Easterling, former president of the Mississippi State Medical Association, said. Easterling recounted the story of one working Mississippian named Jimmy who delayed seeking treatment and was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer. He is now on hospice and “probably has two to three weeks to live,” Easterling said.
Top 10 patient safety threats of 2024: Helping new clinicians, maternal care barriers, AI, and more
03/31/24 at 03:40 AMTop 10 patient safety threats of 2024: Helping new clinicians, maternal care barriers, AI, and more Chief Healthcare Executive, by Ron Southwick; 3/21/24 When ECRI unveiled its list of the leading threats to patient safety for 2024, some items are likely to be expected, such as physician burnout, delays in care due to drug shortages or falls in the hospital. However, ECRI, a nonprofit group focused on patient safety, placed one item atop all others: the challenges in helping new clinicians move from training to caring for patients. ... ECRI’s top 10 threats to patient safety for 2024:
Deal or No Deal: The futures of 3 home-based care companies
03/31/24 at 03:35 AMDeal or No Deal: The futures of 3 home-based care companiesHome Health Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 3/21/24 Most buyers in home health and personal care are signaling they'll be more active in the M&A market this year. There are three major home-based care deals that have happened, or may happen, in the near-term future. All of them could have significant ripple effects.
36 rural hospitals have closed since 2020
03/31/24 at 03:30 AM36 rural hospitals have closed since 2020 Becker's Hospital CFO Report, by Alan Condon; 3/21/24 The closures highlight the heightened financial challenges that rural hospitals face amid persisting workforce shortages, rising costs and leveling reimbursement. In addition, only 45% of rural hospitals now offer labor and delivery services, and in 10 states, less than 33% do, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. [Listed in the article] are the 36 rural hospitals that closed since 2020, beginning with the most recent.
How the analytics of care can balance workforce capacity
03/31/24 at 03:25 AMHow 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. ...
Student-run Arizona non-profit uses origami to connect with hospital [and hospice] patients
03/31/24 at 03:20 AMStudent-run Arizona non-profit uses origami to connect with hospital [and hospice] patients The State Press, by Pippa Fung; 3/19/24The Wishing Crane Project, founded by Arizona student Charles Zhang, serves hospice and hospital patients through art. In the story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, a young girl tried to fold 1,000 paper cranes in the hopes that it would help her push through a terminal illness. Years later, students across Arizona and at ASU are folding their own cranes [and writing hopeful messages] to support others through their difficult journeys. Editor's Note: To Hospice Volunteer Directors/Managers, do you receive requests from high school students/groups requesting community service hours? Click here for The Wishing Crane Project.
Hospice group pushes for clarity in N.Y. state budget as some warm to for-profit care
03/31/24 at 03:15 AMHospice group pushes for clarity in N.Y. state budget as some warm to for-profit care Spectrum News 1; by Susan Arbetter; 3/19/24 New York state has the lowest utilization of hospice in the country, which can be attributed to several factors, including low health literacy rates. But the state’s recent progress in support of end-of-life care may be threatened by something even more insidious: corporate greed. To investigate that issue nationally, a joint request for information was issued by the federal Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Trade Commission into private equity-backed health care and its impact on quality. Yet despite dire warnings, New York state is slowly opening the door to for-profit, private equity-backed hospice care.
Home-focused PACE model continues to gain traction across US
03/31/24 at 03:10 AMHome-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.
CAHPS Hospice Survey - Quality Assurance Guidelines V10.0: Technical Corrections and Clarifications, March 2024
03/31/24 at 03:05 AMCAHPS Hospice Survey - Quality Assurance Guidelines V10.0: Technical Corrections and Clarifications, March 2024 HospiceCahpsSurvey.org; 3/20/24Subsequent to the release of the CAHPS Hospice Survey Quality Assurance Guidelines V10.0 (QAG V10.0), it has been determined that there is a specific content item that requires correction, addition and/or further clarification. The protocol listed in this document replace the previous release of the content in the CAHPS Hospice Survey Quality Assurance Guidelines V10.0. The items are identified [in the pdf available at the title's link].
Hospice & Palliative Care Today - 2024 Qtr 1 Stats!
03/31/24 at 03:00 AMHospice & Palliative Care Today - 2024 Q1 Stats!Hospice & Palliative Care Today publication officially began 1/1/24, building on Mark Cohen's work with Hospice News Today. Our first quarter has been incredibly successful!
Hearing with Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra
03/31/24 at 03:00 AMHearing with Health and Human Services Secretary BecerraHouse Ways and Means CommitteePublisher's note: CA Representatives Steel (@ 4:01) and Van Duyne (@ 4:14) ask pointed questions of Secretary Becerra regarding hospice fraud, particularly focused on Southern California. Thanks to Sheila Clark, California Hospice & Palliative Care Association, for sharing this link. Also, yesterday (3/20/24) Judi Lund Person, Lund Person & Associates Hospice Consulting, presented on this specific topic at the Nebraska Hospice & Palliative Care Association Annual Conference.
Sunday newsletters
03/31/24 at 03:00 AMSunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!
Today's Encouragement
03/30/24 at 03:00 AMIt is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. ~Aristotle
Karen Bullock honored for Outstanding Contributions to Diversity in Palliative Medicine
03/30/24 at 03:00 AMKaren Bullock honored for Outstanding Contributions to Diversity in Palliative MedicineWomen in Academia Report; 3/24As an endowed professor at Boston College and scholar at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Bullock’s new award honors her dedication to improving care for underrepresented patient populations in hospice and palliative medicine.
Saturday newsletters
03/30/24 at 03:00 AMSaturday newsletters focus on headlines and research - enjoy!
The role and professional standards of the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner in hospice and palliative care
03/30/24 at 03:00 AMThe role and professional standards of the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner in hospice and palliative careJournal of Hospice & Palliative Care Nursing, by Coats, Heather PhD, APRN-BC; Henrichs, Kelly DNP, RN, GNP-BC; 3/24The adult/gerontology (gero) nurse practitioner (NP) delivers primary and/or specialty palliative care to persons and their families who live each day with a myriad of serious illnesses. In this role, the adult/gero NP uses their skill set to address the whole person (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential) to improve the quality of life for persons they care for. This article is the fourth in a series of 6 highlighting the different roles of the adult/gero NP and the advanced certified hospice and palliative registered nurse, and how these 2 roles overlap. The purpose of this article was to provide details of education and certification pathways for these NP roles, describe the overlaps in clinical care, and illustrate how the adult/gero NP in palliative and hospice care can contribute to leadership in program development for care of persons and their families who live with serious illness.
Is caregiver sleep quality an important clinical issue?
03/30/24 at 03:00 AMIs caregiver sleep quality an important clinical issue?Sleep and Biological Rhythms, by Ayfer Durak, Nezahat Muge Catikkas; 3/24Sleep quality is directly related to general health and quality of life. Caregivers' sleep disturbances affect not only their own health, but also the optimal care of their patients, with negative consequences such as neglect and medication errors. This study was conducted prospectively in the palliative care unit. ... The fact that the sleep quality of family group caregivers is worse than that of paid caregivers may prevent healthy medical service delivery.
Consciously choosing unconsciousness
03/30/24 at 03:00 AMConsciously choosing unconsciousnessVoices in Bioethics, by Yuna Lee; 3/24“Because there are no laws barring palliative sedation, the dilemma facing doctors who use it is moral rather than legal.” Dr. Timothy Quill, a professor of psychiatry, bioethics, and palliative care concisely articulates an ethical intricacy in end-of-life care. ... In summary, the ethical considerations surrounding palliative sedation compel clinicians to navigate the nuances of moral responsibility, patient advocacy, and clinical judgment. In the absence of clear legal guidelines, clinicians bear the weight of deciding the appropriateness of palliative sedation, influencing both individual patient experiences and broader palliative care practices.
Factors associated with hospital admission in the last month: A retrospective single center analysis
03/30/24 at 03:00 AMFactors associated with hospital admission in the last month: A retrospective single center analysisJournal of Pain and Symptom Management, by Jessica E. Ma MD; Maren K. Olsen PhD; Cara L. McDermott PharmD, PhD; C. Barrett Bowling MD; S. Nicole Hastings MD; Tyler White; David Casarett MD, MA; 3/242202 (25.9%) patients had a hospital admission in the last month [of life]. Among the 1282 (15.1%) who died in a health system facility, most (86.0%) were admitted to the hospital in the last month. Among patients with a hospital admission and discharged in the last month, 60.9% were discharged on hospice. Compared to those without these diseases, metastatic cancer, liver disease, or heart failure had the highest odds of admission in the last month. ... As patients with heart or liver disease or metastatic cancer had the highest odds of admission in the last month, collaborative interventions between primary, palliative, and specialty care may improve quality of care at the end of life.