Literature Review

The process of dealing with death is experiencing rebirth in a less-religious Pittsburgh Digital Daily; by Med St-Esprit, PublicSource; 3/24/24 Tanisha Bowman, of the North Side, a palliative care social worker for Butler Health System and a “death walker,” walks amongst the old graves in St. Mary’s Cemetery. ... From green burial to glass orbs containing ashes, the norms of funerals and burials are broadening as religious affiliation declines. ... According to a 2021 survey by Pew Research, 3 in 10 American adults are religiously unaffiliated. Data compiled by Pew Research about the Pittsburgh metro region found that 50% of adults in the region describe religion as “very important” and nearly 20% consider themselves not religious. Shifts in faith and worship mean families as well as businesses related to death and dying have had to alter their approaches.

Improving the Quality Of Quality Metrics Health Affairs; by Aditya Narayan, Bob Kocher, and Nirav R. Shah; 3/19/24... The landscape of health care quality measures is dynamic, reflecting efforts to enhance patient care, safety, and outcomes. These measures are developed and reimbursed by a variety of stakeholders, including government agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), health care organizations, and independent bodies such as the National Quality Forum and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The development process involves rigorous research, stakeholder engagement, and consensus-building to ensure measures are evidence-based, applicable across different health care settings, and meaningful to patient care.Editor's Note: Read and share this informative, big-picture article about the evolution of healthcare's quality metrics, its tools, and best practices. 

Incurable but not hopeless: How hope shapes patients’ awareness of their advanced cancer prognosis The Conversation, by Jean Mathews and Michael Brundage; 3/24/24Hope is defined as the expectation of achieving a future good. Patients with cancer, whether it is curable or not, prioritize cure as their highest hope. ... Previous research indicates that less than half of patients with incurable cancer are aware of their prognosis. This is often attributed to a failure of communication. ... In the context of advanced cancer, the relationship between hope and hopelessness is balanced by acceptance, which can re-direct hope to new goals beyond cure, such as hope for connection with others and enjoyment of daily pleasures. 

4 things nobody tells you about watching a loved one die of cancer The New York Post; by Jessica Ariel Wendroff; 3/23/24 ... “The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present,” the Princess of Wales, 42, revealed in a bombshell videotaped statement Friday. ... While the royal insisted she is “well and getting stronger every day,” other patients’ real pain begins when the cancer has spread too far and chemotherapy and radiation no longer work, so doctors stop treatment. As the daughter of a Stage 4 bladder cancer patient, I’ve empirically learned four realities that people usually don’t talk about ...

Partners In Care sets sights on service diversification, hospice-pharmacy partnership Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/22/24 Hospice providers need to evolve with their changing patient populations and the larger health care system, according to Greg Hagfors, CEO of Partners In Care. The Oregon-based hospice, palliative care and home health provider recently celebrated the 45th anniversary of its founding, which preceded the establishment of the Medicare Hospice Benefit. ... Hospice News recently spoke with Hagfors about the ways the industry has changed since Partners In Care came on the scene — and how it is moving towards the future.

Regulatory reference links for home health care, hospice and durable medical equipment National Association for Home Care & Hospice; per email 3/25/24 Includes reference descriptions and links to the following:

‘I’m kinder and more compassionate’: actor Greg Wise on men and grief The Guardian, by Tim Jonze; 3/24/24 How the tragic death of his beloved sister, Clare, gave Greg Wise a new outlook on navigating the end of life.  ... Wise is best known as an actor. He met [his wife, Emma] Thompson on the set of 1995’s Sense and Sensibility and has notched up more than 30 years in film and TV. But these days he has carved out a niche for himself as someone who wants to change the way we think, and talk, about the end of our lives. “Not having a proper relationship with one’s grief is one of the great ills of the world,” is how he puts it. "[Without] witnessing and accepting our own pain, we can’t have empathy – proper empathy. I don’t think we can see someone else’s suffering until we can see our own.”

Thank a social worker this month The Alpena News; 3/22/24 March is National Social Worker Month, and we encourage anyone who knows a social worker to take the opportunity to thank him or her for all they do. ... There are more than 700,000 social workers across the U.S., more than 30,000 of them in Michigan, working in all kinds of fields, from child advocacy and protection to behavioral health to hospitals and hospice. “Our mission is to help the vulnerable,” Karen Wagner, a social worker with Hospice of Michigan’s Alpena team, told News staff writer Mike Gonzalez for a recent story. 

End-of-life care in heart failure MedPageToday; by Crystal Phend, reviewed by Andrew Perry, MD; 3/22/24 Palliative care has a perception problem. It's often associated with end of life or advanced cancer. However, cardiovascular disease actually accounts for a higher proportion of adults in need of palliative care than does cancer (38.5% vs 34%), according to the World Health Organization. Patients with heart failure (HF) have a median survival of about 5 years -- on par with many types of cancer, yet patients with cancer are much more likely to be referred to palliative care. 

Top 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: 

Record funding raised for Tidewell Hospice, Empath Health HomeCare News; 3/21/24 Nearly 600 people attended the Tidewell Foundation’s Crystal Anniversary Signature Luncheon on Friday, March 1, at The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota. The 15th Annual event, the Tidewell Foundation’s largest fundraiser, raised a record $434,558 to benefit Tidewell Hospice and Empath Health services that reach more than 10,000 people each year in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties in Florida. Health advocate, movie, TV and Broadway actress, five-time Golden Globe nominee, New York Times best-selling author and memory expert Marilu Henner was the keynote speaker. Henner is a spokesperson for Alzheimer's disease awareness. She has been a vocal advocate for hospice care, and in 2019 she became a spokesperson for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. 

36 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.