Literature Review

P4s are either unhelpful or unnecessary. Proposing a better AI-powered solution to predict patients' preferencesBioethics; by Beatrice Marchegiani; 5/26The Personalized Patient Preference Predictor (P4) has been proposed as an AI tool to aid surrogate decision-making when incapacitated patients lack advance directives. This paper argues that P4s face a fundamental dilemma: they are either unnecessary or unhelpful. To address  ... [its] limitations, I propose a better AI-powered alternative: the Patient Preference Retriever (PPR). Rather than generating new text, the PPR uses vector search techniques to retrieve relevant statements from a patient's digital footprint, presenting them verbatim alongside metadata such as date, context, and source. This approach offers greater transparency, respects autonomy more reliably, and supports surrogate decision-makers in weighing authentic evidence. I conclude that while advance directives remain the gold standard, retrieval-based approaches like the PPR provide a more reliable and ethically defensible use of AI in surrogate decision-making than generative approaches like P4s.

Stakeholder perspectives on integrating ADEPT into end-of-life care for nursing home residents with dementia: A qualitative descriptive studyInternational Journal of Older People Nursing; by Susanny J Beltran, Latarsha Chisholm, Emily Jaijairam; 5/26Nursing homes care for a significant proportion of individuals with advanced dementia, yet timely hospice referrals remain a challenge. The Advanced Dementia Prognostic Tool (ADEPT) is a mortality risk score instrument that holds promise for improving care planning by providing a standardised, accessible method for identifying residents at risk of death within 6 months. Current processes for identifying hospice-eligible residents rely on regular assessments and interdisciplinary collaboration but reveal significant gaps, including delays in referrals and inconsistent practices. Participants viewed ADEPT as a promising tool to complement goals-of-care conversations and enhance care planning, rather than exclusively triggering hospice initiation. Implementation barriers included the need for electronic system integration, regulatory compliance and staff education, while facilitators encompassed strong leadership support, interdisciplinary coordination and alignment with existing workflows.

The clinical relevance of sleep disturbance ("insomnia") in patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative care: A scoping reviewSupportive Care in Cancer; by Shauna Munir, Eva Jones, Faith Precious Omeokwe, Andrew Neil Davies; 5/26Sleep disturbance ("insomnia") is common in patients with advanced cancer receiving specialist palliative care. The studies highlight that sleep disturbance is associated with a range of physical symptoms (e.g. fatigue, drowsiness), a variety of psychological problems (e.g. anxiety, depression), impaired quality of life, and reduced overall survival. Sleep disturbance is an "orphan" symptom, and the results of this scoping review suggest that it deserves much greater attention. Indeed, healthcare professionals should screen all palliative care patients for the problem and, when identified, perform a thorough assessment and initiate an appropriate treatment.

Hospice care provider and compassion fatigue research projectPersonal communication; by Michelle Jackson; 6/10/26Researchers at Missouri State University are conducting a research survey regarding compassion fatigue, resilience, and participation in meaningful activities for hospice care providers. Participation deadline 7/12/26. For additional information and to participate, click here.

1776-1786: 250 Years - A History of CareHospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; for 6/10/26Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

What a CMS fraud chief learned by caring for her parents in hospice Forbes; by Wes Kilgore; 6/11/26  The realization came to Dara Corrigan in late August, when she and her younger sister had to place both of their parents into hospice care within days of each other. Corrigan was not a typical stressed relative, navigating end-of-life care. She'd worked for decades in senior federal service, serving as the Acting Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and directing the Center for Program Integrity at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Her career was built on protecting Medicare from fraud. Yet, sitting by the bedside as a daughter, the benefit looked entirely different from how it appeared on a regulatory spreadsheet. ...A New Model for Dignity: Corrigan thinks a completely different approach could be the solution: a new, dedicated federal palliative care benefit tailored to the reality of long, slow neurodegenerative declines. She envisions a system built from day one with modern anti-fraud controls. 

[Canada] Pallium Canada receives transformational gift from the J & W Murphy Foundation to map palliative care across Atlantic Canada CNW Group, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Press Release; 6/10/26 Pallium Canada is proud to announce a transformational gift of $345,500 from the J & W Murphy Foundation to support the development of four Atlantic Provincial Editions of the Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care — one for each of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. These first-of-their-kind interactive resources for Atlantic Canada will map palliative care access, services, and gaps within each province.

Police: Family member intentionally administered fatal medication overdose WOWO 92.3 FM, Northeast Indiana; by Brian Ford; 9/11/26 Adrian police say a family member was arrested after a hospice patient died from an apparent medication overdose. Investigators allege witness statements indicate the overdose was intentionally administered. The suspect was jailed on an open murder charge pending review by the Lenawee County Prosecutor’s Office. 

How Mayo Clinic adopted an innovative AI tool for palliative care utilization HealthLeaders; by Christopher Cheney; 6/10/26 The AI tool not only identifies hospitalized patients with serious illnesses who could benefit from palliative care services but also targets these patients faster than the health system could in the past. ... To address underutilization of palliative care services, Mayo Clinic and Bayesian Health developed an AI tool to boost palliative care in the hospital setting.

Watching the World Cup brings out my inner coach. My inner coach is LOUD and often wrong.

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GAO uses home health as benchmark to question Medicare hospice payments Home Health News; by Morgan Gonzales with Jim Parker; 6/9/26 ... GAO said Medicare could have saved about $7.6 billion if hospice routine home care from 2022 through 2024 had been reimbursed using adjusted home health per-visit rates rather than hospice’s current per-day payment system, according to a GAO report released Tuesday [6/9]. ... While The Alliance questioned the GAO’s comparison of hospice to home health, Mollie Gurian, vice president of policy and government affairs for LeadingAge, said that the comparison could be a helpful tool.