Literature Review

Factors associated with early palliative care among patients with heart failurePalliative Medicine, by Caroline P Meehan, Emily White, Alexander CVitan, Lan Jiang, Wen-Chih Wu, Mitchell Wice, Jensy Stafford, James L Rudolph; 4/24While more than 20% of HF patients in our cohort had PC well in advance of death, more than half died without PC. PC involvement seemed to be driven by comorbidities rather than HF. Effective collaboration with Cardiology is needed to identify patients who would benefit from earlier PC involvement.

Stillwater Hospice earns SAGECare credential for LGBTQ+ care 89.1 WBOI News - Fresh Air; by Ella Abbott; 4/18/24 Stillwater Hospice received a platinum level SAGECare credential this week, making it the only hospice agency in Indiana to have received the training-based credential. A SAGECare credential shows that the hospice team has been trained on LGBTQ+ aging cultural competency. Stillwater CEO Leslie Friedel said an advocate from the community reached out to them, recommending they work to get the training in order to create safe, local healthcare. “We started to look into it and it aligned so closely with our values," she said. "One of our core values at Stillwater is inclusivity and we felt like this was a way to really live in our values.” Friedel said it’s important for hospice staff to understand issues specific to that community because by 2030, experts expect around 7 million LGBTQ+ people 65 or older nationally.

Comparative effectiveness of acupuncture vs massage for relieving pain in patients with advanced cancer The ASCO Post; by Jun J. Mao, MD, MSCE and Andrew S. Epstein, MD; 4/17/24... The IMPACT study was conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and regional sites in New York, New Jersey, and Florida to evaluate the long-term comparative effectiveness of acupuncture vs massage for pain in patients with advanced cancer. ... The primary outcome—change in worst pain intensity score from baseline to 26 weeks—was measured using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI ranging from 0–10; higher numbers indicate worse pain intensity or interference). The secondary outcomes included fatigue, insomnia, and quality of life. ... To use these therapies, it is important to seek credentialed practitioners who have training or experience in working with patients who have cancer. 

Will Assisted Dying in Europe impact Living With Dignity? Medscape, by Sara Freeman; 4/17/24 BUDAPEST — Only a handful of European countries have legislation in place that decriminalizes the act of physician-assisted dying for certain patients, such as those who are terminally ill. But in recent months, public debates on the topic have been on the rise. ... This was a topic of discussion at the annual meeting of the 32nd European Congress of Psychiatry (EPA 2024) in a session titled "Psychiatry and Physician-Assisted Dying: Europe — Is Diversity Needed?" [Click on the title's link for summaries about the following countries.]

Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is youer than you. — Dr. Seuss

Longview Marines honored for helping fellow veterans during their time in hospice care CBS 19 Tyler, TX; by Alan Kasper and Zak Wellerman; 4/18/24 A Longview hospice took time to recognize some very valuable volunteers Wednesday afternoon. Members of AccentCare Hospice & Palliative Care in Longview honored two Marines Corp. veterans who volunteer their time and help fellow veterans going through hospice care. Vietnam War veterans Jim Jones and Will Haggard have spent the past 12 years as part of a contingent from the Longview Marine Corp League, meaning they help make their last moments better for those in hospice care. ... Pam Fletcher, AccentCare Hospice executive director, said the hospice facility appreciates having volunteers like Jones, Haggard and others. 

'The Grief Lady:' NC woman uses mother's funeral flowers to create art, help others heal WRAL News, Raleigh, NC; by Heather Leah; 4/18/24 Grief is a journey--and you never know for sure where it'll take you. When Janet Willis' mom passed away from small cell lung cancer in her 70s, Willis said she felt like she lost more than a mother; she lost a piece of herself. The loss launched her on a 100 day journey, creating art with the dried flower petals saved from her mother's funeral and sharing her grief experience with her followers. Each day she created a new piece of art – and each day it's as much a surprise for her as it is for her viewers. Editor's Note: Click on the title's link to view photos and read more of this inspiring story.

The Promise and Pitfalls of AI in Medicine: Guest Bob WachterGeriPal Podcast, by Eric Widera and Alex Smith, with Bob Wachter; 4/18/24Our guest today is Bob Wachter, Chair of Medicine at UCSF and author of the Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine’s Computer Age.  Bob recently wrote an essay in JAMA on AI and delivered a UCSF Grand Rounds on the same topic.Publisher's note: An interesting exchange. With apologies for the lenght, this portion of the transcript caught my eye:

Rate growth slows for SNFs, home care McKnights Senior Living, by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 4/17/24 Rates for both nursing home care and home healthcare grew more slowly in March than in February, according to Altarum’s monthly Health Sector Economic Indicators brief, released Tuesday. Nursing home rates increased by 4%, year over year, compared with 4.4% in February, while rates for home healthcare grew by 3.1%, down from 3.4% in February, George Miller, Altarum fellow and senior researcher, told the McKnight’s Business Daily on Tuesday. 

Summaries: FFY 2025 Hospice, Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility, Skilled-Nursing Facility Medicare Payment Rules California Hospital Association, 4/17/24 What’s happening: Summaries of the hospice wage index, inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) prospective payment system (PPS), and skilled-nursing facility (SNF) PPS proposed rules are now available.What else to know: Comments on the proposed rules are due by May 28. The members-only summaries, from Health Policy Alternatives, Inc., describe proposals for the post-acute care Medicare prospective payment systems for federal fiscal year 2025: 

Mississippi Capitol sees second day of hundreds rallying for ‘full Medicaid expansion now’Mississippi Today - Legislature; by Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender; 4/17/24Hundreds of people rallied at the Mississippi Capitol for a second day Wednesday, urging lawmakers to expand Medicaid to provide health coverage for an estimated 200,000 Mississippians. ... Speakers recounted their struggles with access to affordable health care in Mississippi and chanted for the Legislature to, “Close the coverage gap now,” and for “Full Medicaid expansion now.” ... [Dr. Randy] Easterling recounted a story of two of his friends diagnosed with similar cancers. One was uninsured and self-employed, and did not get early diagnosis or treatment. He’s now in hospice and on death’s door. The other friend, with insurance, received an early diagnosis and treatment and is now cancer free.

[Sample] Letter: Hospice workers deserve thanks during Volunteer Appreciation Month Commonwealth Ripon Press (Ripon, WI), Letter to the Editor by Meredith Schluter; 4/18/24April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and I want to attest to the incredible impact that caring volunteers make in the lives of others in our community. Compassus Hospice in Neenah is an organization that cares for individuals experiencing life-limiting illnesses. ... From directly interacting with patients and families to working with care team members behind the scenes to help operations run smoothly, [volunteers] provide a vital service. The nationwide impact of hospice volunteers is just as significant. According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Association, volunteers care for more than 1.5 million hospice patients each year, totaling millions of hours of care annually.Editor's Note: How are you expressing appreciation for your volunteers? This "Letter to the Editor" creates community awareness and provides a call for new volunteers. You have 11 more days to continue April's Volunteer Appreciation Month. What have you done? What more can you do?

[Virginia] Marijuana advocates celebrate passing of medicinal use billABC TV 13 News - Lynchburg, VA; by Brittany Slaughter; 4/15/24Virginia NORML is celebrating a win following Governor Youngkin's signing of a bill that expands medical marijuana use protections to public employees, not just private. JM Pedini, Development Director for NORML said a large benefactor from the bill's passage is firefighters who have faced repercussions for legally using weed medically. ... Pedini who also serves as the Executive Director of the State Chapter of Virginia NORML said the original law inadvertently left out public employees when passed in 2021.Editor's Note: Virginia NORML is the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.