Literature Review

Bereaved parents' experiences of virtual Storytelling Through Music: A qualitative analysisJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; by Carolyn S Phillips, Sue E Morris, Erin Rodriguez, Megan Hebdon, Jason Morris, Rev Brandon Morgan, Meera Singh, Amanda Maestro, Claudia Gruber; 9/26Bereaved parents whose child died from cancer are at risk for prolonged and complicated grief, yet accessible, engaging bereavement interventions remain limited. Storytelling Through Music (STM) is a virtual, group-delivered expressive arts intervention that integrates reflective writing, psychoeducation, and therapeutic songwriting. Five interrelated themes characterized the STM experience: (1) connecting with peers and music, (2) benefits of coping through sharing, (3) expansive emotional experience ... , (4) graded exposure through the sequenced writing-storytelling-songwriting process, and (5) enduring legacy, with the final song functioning as a lasting keepsake and ongoing coping resource. STM appears to support multidimensional grief processing by combining social connection, narrative meaning-making, and music-based emotional engagement in a virtual format.

Palliative care utilization in mesothelioma: Insights from the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2020)Journal of Palliative Care; by Sangam Sangam, Tripti Jain, Pulkit Jain, Shorabh Sharma; 9/26Mesothelioma is a rare and fatal cancer with a median survival of about 1 year after diagnosis. Palliative care (PC) becomes important in improving symptom control and quality of life in cancer patients. However, there is no literature regarding specific determinants of PC utilization in hospitalized mesothelioma patients. We studied the trends and determinants in utilization of PC, and its impact on hospital costs using the National Inpatient Sample. Inpatient PC use in mesothelioma remains low but is associated with lower hospitalization costs. These findings support the need for systematic early PC integration in Mesothelioma management in a hospital setting.

Spirituality in end-of-life care: Tips and tools for all physiciansAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine; by Derek Ross Soled, Sheila Cavanaugh, Anne Vandenhoeck, Michael Balboni; 9/26Many physicians find themselves with patients when life’s final horizon is approaching but feel ill-equipped when they cannot take the suffering away. If a patient has no discernible chance of recovery, praying for healing seems disingenuous, and yet expressing condolences seems premature. Family and friends sometimes similarly grapple with how best to convey sincere emotion without amplifying any awkwardness. End-of-life situations are often protracted and can weary clinicians and families alike with the challenge of what to say. This article discusses practical tools for physicians navigating these situations with a focus on spirituality and the role of chaplains.

Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.  ~Maya Angelou

Expert guidance on high-quality mentoring in hospice and palliative medicine researchJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; Karleen F. Giannitrapani, Cati Brown-Johnson, Sarina R. Isenberg, Laura Petrillo,  Erica C. Kaye, AAHPM Research Committee Writing Group; 9/26Research in the field of hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) is necessarily interdisciplinary, requiring mentorship across diverse disciplines and methods to advance science. HPM research mentorship experts described key activities to improve HPM mentorship and support mentees, spanning multiple levels of action from intrapersonal to broad system change. Launching an independent HPM research career in a climate of limited funding can be supported by mentors who emphasize the joys and challenges of research, model work-life balance, and foster an environment supportive of broad collaboration and continuous improvement and support for mentor training and self-development.

Patients with suboptimal discharges – a follow-up (and rescinding hospice billing)RACmonitor; by Ronald Hirsch, MD, FACP, ACPA-C, CHCQM, CHRI; 10//28/26 Let me start with an update on my project to get a way to indicate on a hospital claim that a patient has discharged to a less-than-optimal location. ... [That began] with a push to use the “against medical advice” designation for such patients. But the stigma behind that term led me to adopt the suggestion of Valerie Rinkle, a nationally known revenue integrity expert, who proposed adoption of a condition code instead of using a discharge status code. Last week I once again presented to the National Uniform Billing Committee (NUBC), asking for such a code to be established. During that meeting, one of the members came up with an even better idea: establishing two condition codes, one for when the patient chooses a less-than-optimal location, and a different condition code for when the payer refuses to approve the suggested post-acute care.

CMS COO: Moratorium has blocked 250 home health agencies from Medicare enrollment Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 10/29/26The moratorium on Medicare home health enrollment has blocked 250 agencies that applied from gaining approval, according to Kim Brandt, the deputy administrator and chief operating officer of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The moratorium on hospice enrollment, meanwhile, has blocked 50 hospices from enrolling, she added, saying that she was surprised at the proportion of home health versus hospice enrollment attempts. 

There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick‑or‑treater looking for a brightly‑lit front porch. ~ Robert Breault

BHS partners with local libraries to explore personal choices and palliative care iBerkshires.com, Great Barrington, MA; 10/28/26 Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) will partner with local libraries to launch a community conversation on palliative care, centered on book discussions of Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. Written by a practicing surgeon, the bestseller bridges clinical care and lived experience, making it accessible to readers with no medical background, while resonating with the palliative care team leading the conversations. This community-based reading event is being offered as part of BHS's new Palliative Care program, a pilot initiative designed to expand this care across the Berkshires through widespread provider education, community awareness, and clinical expertise.

EverHeart Hospice and LeadingAge Ohio meet with state representative Angie King to discuss House Bill 945 EverHeart Hospice, Greenville, OH; Press Release; 10/26/26  EverHeart Hospice’s Senior Leadership Team, along with representatives from LeadingAge Ohio, met with State Representative Angie King to discuss House Bill 945 and its potential impact on hospice care across Ohio. The discussion focused on how House Bill 945 can help establish important safeguards to ensure patients and families have access to clear, reliable information when identifying quality, mission-driven hospice providers. Participants also discussed the importance of regulatory requirements that hold hospice organizations accountable to high standards of care.

CMS COO: hospice, home health moratoria a successful approach Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/29/26 The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) temporary moratoria on hospice and home health provider enrollment in Medicare has been working, according to Kimberly Brandt, the agency’s deputy administrator and COO. To date, during the six-month enrollment freeze, CMS has denied 50 hospice and 250 home health applications. Also, CMS has seen “huge drops” in billing, particularly in geographic areas known to be rife with fraud. This includes states like California, Texas, Nevada, Ohio, Georgia and Arizona.