Literature Review

Case histories of significant advances: Cicely Saunders and the modern hospice movementHarvard Business School, by Amar Bhide, Srikant Datar; 2/25/24This Case history describes the role of Dame Cicely Saunders (1918- 2005) in shaping the modern hospice movement. It is narrated in the first person through the words of her brother, Christopher Saunders (1926-2024) as told to one of the authors of this paper.

Private equity's plot against older AmericansJournal of the American Geriatrics Society, by James Webster MD MS; 2/24/24Over the past several decades more than 140 private equity investment firms have acquired entities in major components of healthcare in the United States... Private Equity firms have undertaken acquisitions of financially or administratively distressed hospitals, nursing homes, physician practices especially emergency care and medical specialties, hospices, home care agencies, physical therapy and rehabilitation operations, ambulance services, and nursing registries... Of particular importance for older Americans, Private Equity firms currently own a significant percentage of U.S. nursing homes; estimates range from 5% to 11%, and a rapidly increasing percentage of hospice and home care agencies. All three are important sources of seniors' care. Why should we be concerned about these issues considering all of the other current challenges to the medical system?... 

Palliative medicine fellows’ discussions, perceptions, and training regarding medical cannabisJournal of Pain and Sympotom Management, by Dylan R. Sherry MD, Rushad Patell MD, Harry J. Han MD, Laura E. Dodge ScD MPH, Ilana M. Braun MD, Mary K. Buss MD MPH; 2/27/24Medical cannabis is increasingly considered for palliation of pain, nausea/vomiting, anorexia, and other symptoms. We aimed to determine whether training in hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) adequately prepares fellows to counsel patients about medical cannabis.

There is only one cardinal rule: One must always listen to the patient. ~Oliver Sacks, MD, Neurologist and Author

St. Croix Hospice improves access to end-of-life care with new branch in Clarinda, IAPR Newswire, by St. Croix Hospice; 2/29/24St. Croix Hospice expands their presence in Iowa with a new branch in Clarinda. This location marks the fifteenth St. Croix Hospice branch in Iowa and helps patients and families residing in the surrounding communities access exceptional hospice care from local caregivers and clinical staff.

Home-based palliative care shows promise in reducing ER visits, hospitalizationsHome Health Care News, by Patrick Filbin; 2/28/24Patients who receive home-based palliative care (HBPC) services experience fewer emergency department visits, fewer hospitalizations and lower costs once they start receiving services. That’s according to a recent study conducted by the West Health Research Institute of Blue Shield of California.

Writing condolence cards supports nurses as well as deceased patients’ families ONS Voice, by Casey S. Kennedy; 2/29/24During extended treatment and end-of-life care, patients, their family and caregivers, and the healthcare team can form close bonds and relationships. Those ties are abruptly severed when a patient dies, leaving each party to grieve alone. For healthcare professionals, sending a condolence card can provide closure for themselves and support for a deceased patient’s family, a team of nurses reported in an article published in the December 2023 issue of the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing.

Musician Mom Cat Janice dead at 31: 'Cat saw her music go places she never expected'People, by Jordan Green; 2/28/24In January, Janice went viral on TikTok after releasing the song "Dance You Outta My Head" inspired by her son. On Wednesday, musician Cat Janice died from cancer. The announcement of the singer-songwriter's death was made via a post on her Instagram account by her family. ... "We are eternally thankful for the outpouring of love that Catherine and our family have received over the past few months," the post continued. 

Debate intensifies over palliative care's reach: Wootton vs. Finlay's divergent viewsThe Wall Street Journal, by Getta Pillai; 2/29/24Discover the differing perspectives of Sarah Wootton and Dr. Ilora Finlay on the effectiveness of palliative care. Gain insights into the challenges and potential solutions in end-of-life care.

The Medicare Care Choices Model was associated with reductions in disparities in the use of hospice care for Medicare beneficiaries with terminal illnessHealth Serv Res by Matthew J Niedzwiecki, Lauren Vollmer Forrow, Jonathan Gellar, R Vincent Pohl, Arnold Chen, Lynn Miescier, Keith Kranker; 2/29/24 Conclusions: Medicare Choices Model (MCCM) increased hospice use and quality of end-of-life care for model enrollees from underserved groups and reduced disparities in hospice use and having multiple emergency department visits.

The devil’s in the details: Hospice providers face Claim Denials for Election Statement technicalities JDSupra, by Lanchi Nguyen Bombalier and Charmaine Mech; 2/29/24Since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) paused much of its audit activity during the COVID Public Health Emergency, the most recent rounds of Medicare audit activity may represent the first “look” at the new Election Statement forms that many hospice providers adopted under the new Medicare election statement requirements effective in October 2020. Unfortunately, these initial audit results from the Medicare Administrative Contractors (“MACs”) suggest that hospice providers and MAC reviewers may not necessarily see eye-to-eye on what information must be included in the new Election Statement.

Why not-for-profit health systems need positive margins: Deloitte Becker's Hospital CFO, by Andrew Cass; 2/28/24Health system margins are the "lifeblood of a healthy, patient-centered, innovative health care system and community," according to a report from consulting firm Deloitte.  "Claims that profits are not important in fact undermine the ability to fund the mission, serve the community, and deliver better, equitable care," Deloitte said in the report. ... "[Systems] should consider a holistic approach that integrates margin drivers to create a balanced transformation portfolio, according to the report. Timing and sequencing are important within each driver and "a full understanding of the dollar impact and priority of each is necessary for margin improvement to be successful."