Literature Review

New nonprofit helps Summit families facing terminal illnesses Summit Daily; by Summit Daily Staff; 2/24/26 The newly launched nonprofit Lean on Us aims to provide support services for individuals and families in Summit County dealing with terminal illness. A news release from the nonprofit stated it will provide physical, social, emotional and financial support, complementing the work of existing nonprofits, healthcare providers and caregivers in the county. Lean on Us’ nonmedical assistance will include companionship, caregiver respite, transportation, meal support, emergency financial assistance, accommodations, resource coordination and help with day-to-day tasks.

‘It’s a collaborative effort’: Northern Light Medical Transport paramedics providing hospice supportWABI-5, Bangor, ME; by Alyssa Thurlow; 2/19/26 ... Paramedics can help patients across Maine with a variety of needs, but some are embracing a slower-paced role, focused on assisting those who are at the end of life. “Patients have access to care 24/7, and part of that coverage for after-hours is now coming through the community paramedicine program,” said hospice educator Allie Rohrer, RN. ... “It’s not with lights and sirens. It’s very low key. It’s driving there in a car, and then it’s talking through the issues,” said paramedic Ed Moreshead. ... Northern Light’s community paramedics are contracted with Northern Light Home Care & Hospice. Families in need of assistance call the triage number, and a hospice nurse and on-call physician can respond if needed.

‘I just wanted them not to suffer’: Should terminally ill Ohioans be able to decide when it’s time to die? The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, OH; by Mary Frances McGowna; 2/22/26 In a growing number of states, terminally ill patients now have a legal option that would have been unthinkable to many Americans a generation ago: a doctor’s prescription that allows them to end their own life. The question is one of the most personal in modern health policy: Should a mentally competent, terminally ill person be allowed — with state approval and medical oversight — to choose the timing of their death? ... The debate is accelerating — and it’s reaching closer to Ohio. cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer will publish a continuing series involving the multitude of issues involving end-of-life decisions, including hospice care, the costs of care for the terminally ill, ethics, legal issues and more. If you’ve experienced these issues in your family and are willing to discuss your experiences and thoughts, please email Mary Frances McGowan at mmcgowan@cleveland.com.

The Alliance and the Research Institute for Home Care release 2025 Hospice Chartbook National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 2/19/26 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) and The Research Institute for Home Care (the Institute) are excited to announce the release of the 2025 Hospice Chartbook. Highlighting the vital role that hospice plays in caring for an aging demographic, the Chartbook provides a look at the patients being served in hospice, who they are demographically and clinically, and more.  Now in its second year, the 2025 Hospice Chartbook, co-sponsored by the Alliance, provides an overview of national patient and workforce data with an emphasis on state-specific information and trends, including key data on hospice patients and providers, Medicare spending on hospice, and more. 

Sunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!

Trends and disparities in left ventricular failure mortality in The United States: A 1999-2020 analysisJournal of Cardiac Failure; by Abdalhakim Shubietah, Hasan Munshi, Emmanuel Olumuyide, Muath Baniowda, Abdallah Hussein, Mohammad Alqadi, Qutaiba Qafisheh, Majd Oweidat, Omar Hamadi, Mohammad O Abdelhafez; 1/26 Left ventricular failure (LVF) is a significant cause of cardiovascular mortality in the United States. Despite advances in heart failure management, mortality rates have shown a notable increase over time, particularly in recent years. This study examines trends and disparities in LVF-related mortality using data from the CDC WONDER database from 1999 to 2020. LVF-related mortality has increased significantly over the past two decades, particularly after 2010, highlighting a growing public health concern. Disparities persist across sex, race, age groups, urbanization, and geographic regions. The high burden of deaths outside medical facilities suggests a need for enhanced outpatient and palliative care strategies.

Palliative care utilization and timing for patients undergoing solid organ transplantation in a large multicenter cohortTransplantation; by Matthew W Kenaston, Ryan Baldeo, Tyler K Murphy; 1/26Palliative care ... referrals in transplant programs are infrequent, often reactive, and the benefits remain unclear. We retrospectively studied 12,676 heart, liver, lung, and kidney transplants across 3 Mayo Clinic sites (2018-2024). PC encounters were classified as pretransplant (≤1 y before admission), peritransplant (during hospitalization), or posttransplant (≤1 y after discharge). Only 8.3% engaged PC, with patterns varying by organ and timing. Timing of inpatient consultation showed a strong positive correlation with hospital length of stay, and pretransplant PC coincided with higher rates of goals-of-care discussions and fewer hospital interventions. Adapting screening criteria to focus on high-risk recipients, PC was associated with fewer short-term readmissions for heart and lung recipients.

[Spain] End-of-life preparedness and emotional suffering in patients and caregivers: Findings from an international cohort study spanning the period before and after deathPalliative Medicine; by Clément Meier, Verónica Inés Veloso, Bélen Carballo, Eva Víbora Martín, Pilar Barnestein-Fonseca, Dröfn Birgisdóttir, Valgerður Sigurðardóttir, Ida Korfage, Agnes van der Heide, Vilma A Tripodoro; 1/26Preparing for the end of life is believed to help mitigate emotional suffering for both patients and their caregivers. This study uses data from the international iLIVE project to examine how perceived end-of-life preparedness is associated with emotional suffering among patients and their caregivers before and after death. Feeling fully prepared for the end of life was significantly associated with lower levels of emotional suffering for both patients and caregivers. Among patients, preparedness was linked to reduced emotional suffering at baseline and follow-up. For caregivers, these associations were even more pronounced at baseline, follow-up, and after the patient's death.

Saturday newsletters focus on headlines and research - enjoy!

[Colombia] Early palliative care integration in end-stage liver disease: A narrative review of clinical strategies for symptom control and quality of lifeJournal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy; by Daniela Sarria-Gómez, Cristhian Camilo Martínez Torres, Diana Estrada-Bermúdez, Liliana Saavedra; 1/26End-stage liver disease (ESLD) is associated with a high symptom burden, poor prognosis, and limited access to curative disease. Despite growing evidence supporting the role of palliative care (PC), its integration into the routine management of ESLD remains limited and inconsistent. Key barriers to PC implementation include misconceptions about its use being limited to terminal phases, lack of referral criteria, and insufficient coordination between specialties. Evidence shows that early PC involvement improves symptom control (pain, dyspnea, pruritus, encephalopathy), decreases avoidable hospitalizations, and facilitates shared decision-making.

Medical Aid in Dying: A narrative review of the recent academic literature in the United States Cureus; by Holland Kaplan, Soraira Pacheco, Keziah M. Thomas, Christopher L. Ulmschneider, Anjiya Sulaiman, Chandni Lotwala, Derek Dawes, Issa A. Hanna, Courtney Nguyen, Caroline G. Snider, Gabriel M. Aisenberg; 2/23/26 ... To assess how academic discourse may shape public opinion and policy in the United States, we conducted a narrative review of the literature published between 2020 and 2024. Articles were categorized as supportive, opposing, or neutral, and patterns were examined across authorship, disciplinary focus, and target populations. ... Authorship discipline strongly influenced position, with legal journals disproportionately supportive and religious journals more frequently opposed. Arguments favoring MAiD emphasized autonomy and relief of suffering, whereas opposing articles highlighted risks to vulnerable populations and potential harm.