Literature Review

New Joint Commission Guidance on the use of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare The National Law Review; by  Paul R. DeMuro, PhD, Brandon K. von Kriegelstein, Taylor M. Stilwell Katten; 10/28/25 On September 17, 2025, the Joint Commission, in collaboration with the Coalition for Health AI (“CHAI”), issued its first high-level framework on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) in healthcare.  The Guidance on the Responsible Use of AI in Healthcare (“Guidance”) is intended to help hospitals and health systems responsibly deploy, govern, and monitor AI tools across organizations.  The goal of the Guidance is to help “…the industry align elements that enhance patient safety by reducing risks associated with AI error and improving administrative, operational, and patient outcomes by leveraging AI’s potential.” ... The seven core elements articulated by the Guidance are:

Emergency preparedness efforts prevented deaths, serious injuries in massive fire, senior living operator saysMcKnight's Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 10/28/25A massive Friday night fire at a Michigan senior living community displaced 87 residents and staff members, but no serious injuries or deaths were reported thanks to emergency preparedness measures, according to the operator. Multiple fire departments responded to the blaze at American House Southgate in suburban Detroit... In an update provided to McKnight’s Senior Living by American House on Saturday, the company said that staff members and residents reacted quickly and efficiently. “Following their practiced fire drills, the team members and residents evacuated the building without incident,” the statement said, adding that the building’s fire systems all deployed as designed.

Local organization offers guidance for grieving during the holidaysKKCO11 Grand Junction, CO; by Bella Demosthenous; 10/24/25HopeWest provides resources and advice for those struggling with loss during the festive season. HopeWest, a local organization that specializes in helping people grieve, shares advice on how to navigate the holidays while battling grief. “My encouragement is to show self-compassion for yourself first and foremost. It’s not an easy thing to do outside of grief,” said Jodi Molina Lopez, HopeWest youth counselor.

Hospice arranges wedding in 24 hours so dying mum could see her daughter get marriedYahoo News UK; by Rachael Davis, Gary Stewart; 10/26/25A mum-of-two is urging people to donate to hospice care, after one organised a last-minute wedding so her terminally-ill mother could watch her marry the love of her life.

Strategies for managing rising healthcare premiums with Jason Bradshaw Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Jason Bradshaw; 10/29/25 In this episode of TCNtalks, host Chris Comeaux welcomes back Jason Bradshaw, a seasoned benefits consultant with USI Insurance Services. Together, they unpack why healthcare premiums are rising, where volatility is coming from, and how employers can regain control without gutting benefits.  Jason shares practical funding models, transparency tools, and a playbook for building a cost culture that actually moves behavior.

Concierge medicine, explainedBecker's Clinical Leadership; by Paige Twenter; 10/24/25Health systems are increasingly offering concierge medicine, a market predicted to be worth over $13 billion by 2030... What exactly is concierge medicine, though? Concierge medicine is a direct primary care service model in which a healthcare provider offers their services for a fixed periodic fee, often through a membership or retainer fee. The costs and covered services vary widely, and many are out-of-pocket. Some aspects are still billed to insurance, though, including labs and imaging. In 2014, the average concierge medicine service charged $1,500 to $1,700 per year. By 2025, the median service rose to cost between $2,000 and $5,000 per year, according to concierge practice PartnerMD. Another estimate said annual fees range between $1,000 and $20,000.Publisher's note: How might the provision of concierge medicine impact the delivery of hospice care?

Updated opioid prescribing guidelines: Implications for nurse practitioners The Nurse Practitioner / Lippincott; by Rhond Winegar, PhD, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CCRN, CPN; Tara Martin, MSN, RN, CPN; Zhaoli Liu, PhD, FNP-C, CPPS; November 2025 issue. The opioid epidemic remains a significant public health challenge in the United States. Nurse practitioners (NPs) play a crucial role in addressing this crisis. This article discusses the implications for NPs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2022 updated clinical practice guideline on opioid prescribing, focusing on four key areas: 1) deciding whether to initiate opioids, 2) determining appropriate opioids and dosages, 3) determining treatment duration and follow-up, and 4) implementing risk assessment and mitigation strategies. Adhering to this guideline enables NPs to optimize opioid prescribing practices and deliver patient-centered care that aligns with public health priorities to combat the opioid crisis.

New ACP paper provides ethical guidance amid controversies and changing practices in organ transplantation American College of Physicians (ACP), Philadelphia, PA; Press Release; 10/28/25 The American College of Physicians today issued a position paper on ethical considerations surrounding organ transplantation, saying the needs of the donor patient and family must be prioritized and the process should be trustworthy and transparent. “Ethical Issues in Organ Transplantation: A position paper from the American College of Physicians” was published in Annals of Internal Medicine.  It clarifies the duties and roles of care teams of prospective donor-patients, recipient-patients, and organ procurement teams, reaffirming that end-of-life decision making for prospective donor-patients must center on their best interests independent of organ donation potential. ... “This guidance is relevant to all involved in organ transplantation and particularly to internal medicine physicians who advise their patients about advance care planning and organ donation, caring for them prior to organ transplantation,” said Jason M. Goldman, MD, MACP, President, ACP. 

Knowing what must be done does away with fear. ~ Rosa Parks

[United Kingdom] New end-of-life checklist designed to remove stress in time of crisis Independent; by Aine Fox; 10/27/25 Marie Curie has published an end-of-life checklist to encourage the public to think about their end-of-life care. The list, curated by clinicians, covers everything from wills to wakes and what we might want to happen to pets and social media accounts when we die. The document features five categories, including legal and money matters, people, pets and things important to me, an advance care plan, my funeral, a wake or celebration of life, and making and leaving behind memories. Editor's Note: To download USA Advance Directives for each state, visit (1) CaringInfo (set up by NHPCO 15+ years ago), A Program of the National Alliance for Care at Home, or (2) AARP's Find Advance Directives Forms by State (uses CaringInfo's form, but more user-friendly navigation).

Hospice organizations: 5 tips for building a direct-to-consumer campaign McKnights Home Care; by Andrew Robinson; 10/22/25 [... Why] are so many hospice organizations so reliant on waiting for families to find you through referrals? Referrals usually come too late. And families are left scrambling to make sense of their options. This is why direct-to-consumer marketing is not only appropriate, it’s essential. Here are five tips on how to effectively create and execute hospice direct-to-consumer marketing.