Literature Review

Patients' perceptions of autonomy in palliative care: Two patient interview exemplars Palliative Care and Social Practice; by Kristen Tulloch, Julia Acordi Steffen, John P Rosenberg; 1/19/26 Results: Four themes were identified: (a) my involvement in healthcare decisions, (b) change to my autonomy during illness progression, (c) self-assessing my abilities to exercise autonomy and (d) my coping mechanisms for loss of autonomy. Palliative care patients perceived and managed their autonomy amidst their illnesses, revealing a sense of loss of autonomy extending beyond healthcare into many daily activities. Participants wished to exercise autonomy in nuanced ways, varying in intensity across many aspects of their lives, underscoring the importance of recognising and respecting individuals' wishes for autonomy.Editor's Note: The authors’ focus on coping with loss of autonomy is essential. As illness progresses, autonomy can erode not only in medical decisions but across daily life, identity, and meaning—losses that are too often overlooked in clinical care. The frequently misapplied “Five Stages of Grief” can further blur this reality, reducing complex, personal experiences to linear expectations not supported by contemporary grief research. Understanding how patients adapt to loss of autonomy is foundational to truly person-centered palliative care.

Top legal challenges for the health care industry in 2026 JD Supra; by Roxana Bokaei, Michele Gipp, David S. Greenberg, Gayland Hethcoat II, Brian Schneider, Jessica Sprovtsoff, Kathryn Steffen, Jill Steinberg, Hillary Stemple, Stephanie Trunk; 1/22/26 With 2026 underway, the AFS Health Care team highlights some of the most pressing legal issues facing the health care industry this year.

Unlocking the secret  power of groups with Colin M. Fisher  / part 1Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Colin M. Fisher; 1/21/26 In this episode of TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership, host Chris Comeaux sits down with Colin M. Fisher, professor, researcher, author, and jazz trumpeter, to explore what decades of research reveal about how groups actually work—and why so many teams fall short of their potential. Drawing from his book The Collective Edge, Fisher challenges the deeply ingrained myth of the “lone genius” and reframes leadership as a discipline of design, not motivation. 

Sound of silence: Training physicians to avoid interrupting the diagnosis Medscape; by Donavyn Coffey; 1/21/26 When Anthony Back, MD, a palliative care specialist at the University of Washington in Seattle, takes medical trainees on his rounds, they often come out of the exam room with the same observation: “You didn’t say anything.” Back is among a growing number of physicians who practices silence with his patients, intentionally giving them more time to share and process before he chimes in, and teaching the next generation of doctors to do the same.  ... Emerging evidence and educator experience suggest that silence is not an absence of skill but a deliberate diagnostic and relational tool.

Advance care planning in patients nearing the end of life: A pre-intervention study of racial disparities and provider factors Journal of General Internal Medicine | Springer; by Vedha Penmetcha BA, Mia Marcotte BA, Yashaswani Chauhan MD, Malathi Srinivasan MD, Adrian M. Bacong PhD, Amelia Sattler MD; 1/19/26 The pre-intervention study of Advance Care Planning (ACP) in patients nearing the end of life highlighted significant racial disparities and the impact of provider factors on ACP documentation. The study found that Asian patients were least likely to have ACP documentation in their charts, and minorities who had ACP conversations were less likely to have documentation. This suggests that ACP conversations are often not documented in the electronic health records of these patients, indicating a need for targeted interventions to improve ACP documentation rates. The study also revealed that providers may struggle to identify who and when to engage in ACP conversations, which can be a barrier to effective ACP.

Dealmaking in home care slows, stabilizes in home health due to Medicare Payment Rule Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 1/20/26 After several months of home health dealmaking uncertainty sparked by the largest-ever proposed cut to Medicare home health payments, a softer-than-anticipated final rule has paved the way for greater investor confidence in the sector in 2026. 

False Claims Act insights - the rise of state False Claims Act enforcement Husch Blackwell | Thought Leadership; podcast hosted by Jonathan Porter with Rebecca Furdek and Todd Gee; 1/12/26 Our conversation starts with an overview of state False Claims Acts and how the use of FCA varies from state to state. We examine recent settlements in Massachusetts and Minnesota that show the reach of state False Claims Acts and discuss a large District of Columbia False Claims Act settlement for tax liability that could be the next big enforcement area for state-level False Claims Acts.

Update your HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices by February 16, 2026 The National Law Review; by John D. Arendshorst , Charles M. Russman, Carolyn M. H. Sullivan, Kristy L. De Vos, Varnum LLP; 1/21/26 Whether your company provides health benefits or qualifies as a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), it is important to update your Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) by February 16, 2026, to remain HIPAA compliant. The updated requirements focus on how substance use disorder information may be used or disclosed and remove reproductive health language that was previously added but has since been revoked. ... [Additionally]:

HopeHealth, the 2nd hospice in the nation, celebrates 50th anniversary MassNonprofit News; Press Release; 1/20/26 HopeHealth, an early pioneer in hospice care and a leading nonprofit provider of hospice and palliative care in New England, marks its 50th anniversary this year. Founded in 1976 as Hospice Care of Rhode Island, HopeHealth was created by a group of physicians, chaplains, educators, and community advocates who believed patients and families deserved compassionate, dignified support at the end of life. ... HopeHealth became the second hospice provider in the nation. In the five decades since, HopeHealth has grown from a single community-based program into a regional nonprofit organization serving Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In addition to hospice care, it provides palliative care for patients and families living with serious illness; specialized care for dementia; support and education for family caregivers; and numerous grief support programs.Editor's Note: Congratulations and thank you--Hospice Care of Rhode Island | HopeHealth--for your groundbreaking leadership and ongoing growth in your services throughout the continuum for serious illness, palliative, hospice, and grief care!

Trends in pediatric palliative care - A newsletter Trends; by the Siden Research Team; 1/20/26 In 2024 TRENDS published it’s 100th issue and enrolled its 1000th newsletter subscriber, the newsletters growth shows no signs of stopping. The Siden Research Team continues to center ways to foster the pediatric palliative care community and ultimately improve care for our patients. ... ith no journal dedicated to pediatric palliative care, finding relevant articles required scouring pediatric journals for palliative literature and palliative journals for paediatric literature – clearly there was a gap in effective dissemination of relevant articles. ... The Siden Research Team took initiative to bridge this gap. In June 2016 the first search and resulting citation list was compiled.

A different kind of care: The compelling case for palliative care in advanced kidney disease docwirenews; by Keightley Amen; 1/20/26 Advanced kidney disease requires some of the most complex care in medicine due to medical management, comorbid conditions, symptom burden, patient and family psychosocial needs, difficult conversations, and advance care planning. Despite the significant coordination needed, care for this patient population is often more fragmented, with less access to supportive services, than for people with other chronic, life-limiting illnesses.

Home care crisis drives innovation for aging in place HousingWire; by Jonathan Delozier; 1/14/26 A growing shortage of home care workers threatens older Americans’ ability to age in place. Low wages, high turnover and limited benefits leave families struggling. Worker-owned co-ops, digital registries and specialized training improve retention, pay and patient outcomes, offering promising solutions amid rapidly rising demand for home health and personal care aides.