Literature Review

Trends in pediatric palliative care research: February 2024 listPedPalASCNET, editor Hal Siden, MD, MHSc, FRCPC; email; 2/26/24PedPalASCNET: A network for accessible, sustainable, and collaborative research in pediatric palliative care. Trends in Pediatric Palliative Care Research, 2024, Issue 01.  

Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive. ~ C.S. Lewis

“Dying with a smile, just knowing that somebody’s listened to me”: End-of-life care and medical assistance in dying in Canadian prisonsOMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, by Jessica Shaw, Peter Driftmier; 3/24Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) has been legal in Canada since 2016 and some incarcerated patients who are at the end of their lives are eligible for the procedure. Interviews with nine incarcerated men at a federal penitentiary in Canada provide insight into some of the ways that people who are navigating aging and end-of-life in prison think about MAiD.

Close but not close enough: How distance caregiving is associated with hospice family caregiver hospice communication experiencesHealth Communication, by Lauren T Starr, Karla Washington, Kyle Pitzer, Debra Parker Oliver, George Demiris; 3/24Half of hospice family caregivers report having unmet information needs, which can contribute to poor pain and symptom management, emergency department use, and hospice disenrollment for care-recipients and to caregiver strain and stress. Effective communication between hospice teams and family caregivers is critical yet communication inadequacies persist. Despite the growing prevalence of distance caregiving, including in hospice care, and the relationship between caregiver proximity and communication effectiveness, little is known about how caregiver proximity is associated with caregiver perceptions of hospice communication. 

Oncologist perceptions of racial disparity, racial anxiety, and unconscious bias in clinical interactions, treatment, and outcomesJournal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, by Alexandrina Balanean, Emily Bland, Ajeet Gajra, Yolaine Jeune-Smith, Andrew J Klink, Harlen Hays, Bruce A Feinberg; 2/24Cancer spares no demographic or socioeconomic group; it is indeed the great equalizer. But its distribution is not equal; when structural discrimination concentrates poverty and race, zip code surpasses genetic code in predicting outcomes. Compared with White patients in the United States, Black patients are less likely to receive appropriate treatment and referral to clinical trials, genetic testing, or palliative care/hospice.

Hospice fraud: Predicting ability and intentIllness, Crisis & Loss, by Laura M. Waters, Patricia Moyle Wright; 2/28/24Hospice fraud is a growing concern around the world. Yet, little attention has been given to the study of hospice fraud in the extant literature.

Saturday NewslettersResearch literature is the focus of Saturday newsletters - enjoy!

Other Business Headlines of Interest, updated 2/29/24 per nasdaq.com

Inspirational duo: Boy with terminal condition and puppy tackle 100km challenge for hospice care BNN, by Sakchi Khandelwal; 2/29/24 In Leyland, a heartwarming story unfolds as nine-year-old Jacob, diagnosed with a terminal lung condition and Down's Syndrome, takes on a monumental challenge alongside his cockapoo puppy, Ralph. The pair have committed to walking every day in February, aiming to hit the 100km mark to support Derian House, a hospice providing care for over 400 children with life-limiting conditions in the North West [United Kingdom]. Despite his non-verbal status and health hurdles, Jacob's journey with Ralph underscores the profound companionship and emotional support pets can offer. 

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.

False Claims Act - 2023 Year in ReviewJD Supra; by William Athanas, A. Lee Bentley III, Gene Besen, Ryan Dean, Jonathan Ferry, Daniel Fortune, Giovanni Giarratana, Ty Howard, Elisha Kobre, Anna Lashley, Gregory Marshall, Lyndsay Medlin, Stephen Moulton, Ocasha Musah, Scarlett Singleton Nokes, Cara Rice, Brad Robertson, Tara Sarosiek, Jack Selden, Erin Sullivan, Courtlyn Ward, Virginia Wright; 2/28/24As we do every year, this issue revisits the key cases and other developments from the year gone by. And by most metrics, 2023 was a notable year for the False Claims Act (FCA).

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.

"The great escape": How an incident of elopement gave rise to trauma informed palliative care for a patient experiencing multiple disadvantage BMC Palliat Care, by Sam Quinn, Libby Ferguson, Derek Read, and Naomi Richards; 2/28/24Background: This case report ... illustrates how unresolved traumatic experiences across the life course can affect a patient's engagement with palliative care and offers insights into the flexibility and adaptations necessary for taking a trauma informed approach to care for an individual experiencing multiple disadvantage.