Literature Review

In the resuscitation discussion, do words matter between doctors and patients? Rutgers, by Patti Zielinski; 3/12/24Rutgers Health researchers seek to reduce barriers to physicians having code status conversations with older adults. ... The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, sought to determine the best language doctors could use when discussing a patient’s code status to reduce the barrier to having these conversations. It found that it takes less than five minutes on average for doctors to have discussions going over what CPR is, what a patient’s preference might be and making a decision that patients felt comfortable with regarding whether they want to be resuscitated, according to the study.Editor's Note: Click on the title above for the summary description; click here for the detailed research article, "Aligning patient values and code status: Choice of Diction's Effect (CODE) study.

What are ageing and death from a biological point of view? Polytchnique insights, by Alexis Gautreau and Clemence Guillermain; 3/12/24 Linking philosophy and biology may seem strange. Yet there are many subjects where the two disciplines come into play and are, in turn, essential to understanding them. Death is a perfect example. This biological reality remains an abstract concept until we experience it in our own lives. But, however abstract it may be, death is based on a biological reality. 

All-inclusive senior care center opens first Florida facility in Tampa Tampa Beacon, by Mike Camunas; 3/11/24 It’s a one-stop shop for senior medical services — and social activities. On March 4, InnovAge unveiled its new, state-of-the-art Senior Care Center in Tampa, marking the medical service provider’s first facility in Florida. The 33,500-square-foot facility in a renovated building provides doctor visits, dental care, social activities, and even transportation for seniors. The facility ... can serve up to 1,300 patients or participants through PACE, or Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, a Medicare and Medicaid program that helps people meet their health care needs in the community instead of going to a nursing home or other care facility.

What are important ethical implications of using Facial Recognition Technology in health care? AMA Journal of Ethics, by Nicole Martinez-Martin, JD, PhD; orig post 2/24, redistributed 3/13/24Applications of facial recognition technology (FRT) in health care settings have been developed to identify and monitor patients as well as to diagnose genetic, medical, and behavioral conditions. The use of FRT in health care suggests the importance of informed consent, data input and analysis quality, effective communication about incidental findings, and potential influence on patient-clinician relationships. Privacy and data protection are thought to present challenges for the use of FRT for health applications.

Film Festival and local organizations partner to present ‘Lily’ March 21 Sedona.Biz; 3/9/24Accord Hospice & Palliative Care is continuing their educational efforts by partnering with the Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) to marry theater and Advance Care Directive education through the AD Project – a series of 10-minute plays that feature different relationships and settings to illustrate the importance of putting your medical wishes in writing. ...Playwright Bryan Harnetiaux has worked with HFA for years developing a series of shows that depict real life scenarios involving all different family dynamics. The show “Lily” will present a divorced couple who are embarking on a very real dilemma – who to choose to be your voice when you can no longer speak for yourself.

'It's been really inspiring': Grace House continues end-of-life care despite challenges Akron Beacon Journal, by Kelsie Horner; 3/13/24Through a flood and financial challenges, an Akron nonprofit has continued to provide end-of-life care and companionship for people who might otherwise die alone. Since opening its doors 1½ years ago, Grace House has cared for 66 residents during their final days. ... Grace House is one of only three organizations in the nation to provide free, “non-barrier” end-of-life care for people who are unhoused or alone.

By 2022, COVID pandemic had shaved 1.6 years from global life expectancy, research reveals University of Minnesota CIDRAP, by Mary Van Beusekom, MS; 3/12/24 ... About 131 million people around the world died from any cause in 2020-2021 combined, with 15.9 million more deaths than expected due to COVID-19 infection or pandemic-related social, economic, or behavioral factors, such as delays in seeking healthcare. ... Global life expectancy climbed 22.7 years from 1950 to 2021, from 49.0 to 71.7 years, but from 2019 to 2021, it dropped 1.6 years, reversing historical trends.

Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.  ―  Wayne W. Dyer

Few hospitals follow recommended practices for evidence-based suicide care Pew, by Farzana Akkas; 3/12/24 In 2022, suicide claimed the lives of an estimated 49,449 people in the United States. ... Research has shown that almost half of those who die by suicide interact with the health care system within four weeks of their deaths. And those who are hospitalized for suicide risk face an elevated risk of dying by suicide post-discharge, making this a critical time for these patients to have access to resources, support, and care that can keep them safe in the event of a suicidal crisis. But new research shows that only 8% of hospitals in the U.S. have instituted all the key components of evidence-based, best-practice interventions to help at-risk patients who are discharged after receiving care. In fact, more than 1 in 4 are not conducting any of these interventions.

The U.S. prison population is rapidly graying. Prisons aren’t built for what’s coming Wisconsin Public Radio, by Meg Anderson; 3/12/24 ... "You don't usually build prisons with nursing home-type housing." The proportion of state and federal prisoners who are 55 or older is about five times what it was three decades ago. In 2022, that was more than 186,000 people. ... Prison systems across the U.S. have a constitutional obligation to provide adequate health care, and they’re racing to figure out how to care for the elderly in their custody — and how to pay for it.Editor's Note: This article provides current data and focuses on nursing home type care. For depth information, pair this data with a clinical journal chapter, "Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Prison" - Aston, L. (2023). Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Prison. In: Brooke, J. (eds) Nursing in Prison . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30663-1_8

Colorado Senate votes to shorten ‘Medical-Aid-in-Dying’ waiting period Colorado Newsline, by Sara Wilson; 3/8/24 The Colorado Senate approved a bill Friday that would alter the state’s medical aid-in-dying law by shortening the required waiting period and allowing more medical professionals to prescribe the medication. ... Senate Bill 24-68 would tweak the law by shortening the waiting period between a patient’s first and second request for the medication from 15 to seven days. ... Statistics from Denver Health’s medical aid-in-dying program show that about 1 in 4 patients died from their illness during the current 15-day waiting period.

Antidepressant prescribing practices of pediatric palliative care providers Journal of Palliative Medicine, by Teresa Venta; 3/12/24 Objective: This study seeks to describe the antidepressant prescribing practices of PPC providers and describe their level of training and comfort in assessing for anxiety and depression and prescribing psychotropic medications. Conclusions: Limited training in assessing mental health concerns, prescribing, and managing psychopharmacology suggests an opportunity for more targeted education for pediatric PC providers regarding antidepressant prescribing practices.

[Updated] Inefficient, unfair audits continue to burden hospices, new survey report findsMcKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 3/12/24Clunky audit processes have long strained hospice providers’ time and money, and though regulators have made some improvements, many agencies still report glaring issues with investigations, according to a new report released Tuesday by four major hospice organizations. ... Many audits have failed to meet their expressed purpose: Reining in noncompliance. ...