Literature Review

Health economic analysis of an all-virtual, at-home acute care modelJAMA Network Open; Brad Spellberg, MD; Christopher Lynch, MD; Hal F. Yee, MD, PhD; Josh Banerjee, MD; 6/25Hospital-at-home care models send staff, durable medical equipment (DME), and therapeutics (eg, intravenous infusions) to patients’ homes to provide care. In the US, Medicare requires in-person evaluations at least twice daily to receive payment for hospital-at-home services. In the UK National Health Service, virtual wards at home are increasingly being used in lieu of inpatient care. This economic evaluation of ... patients receiving all-virtual, at-home acute care ... found that the virtual program was cost-saving (due to avoided variable hospital costs) only for unfunded patients or patients with Medicaid, but was cost-losing for Medicare and commercially insured patients due to substantial lost inpatient revenue. These findings suggest that current payer rates for inpatient care financially disincentivize development and implementation of novel acute, at-home care models, but a simple reimbursement schema could enable net savings to both hospitals and payers.

Impact of spirituality in Christians with serious illness - A phenomenological studyAmerican Journal of Hospice and Pallaitive Care; Judy Lentz; 6/25Seeking support within the faith community is frequently noted in Christians with serious illness. Research interviews captured four major structures with accompanying constituent parts [including] ... sovereignty of God with unpredictability, relationship with God especially through prayer, illness-related loss with accompanying guilt for the subsequent burden created for the caregivers, and gratitude for the love and support shown to the participant by loved ones and others. The impact of the structures and constituent parts of spirituality identified by the Christians who participated in this study demonstrates the value and significance of the faith-based spiritual support received during their illness.

Hospice and palliative care experiences as expressed on the r/hospice and r/palliative subredditsAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine; Riley Shin, BSA; Ashley Shin, MD; Elizabeth K. Nugent, MD, MS; 6/25 Reddit, an anonymous online community forum, provides space for sharing medical information, seeking emotional support, and facilitating open communication. This qualitative study examined the most popular questions on the r/hospice and r/palliative communities on Reddit. Seven primary themes emerged from question and advice-seeking r/hospice comments: (1) the dying process (24%), (2) coping and emotional support for patients and caregivers (22%), (3) logistics of hospice and palliative care (22%), (4) medication treatments and side effects (13%), (5) negative hospice experiences (10%), (6) support for hospice providers (7%), and (7) other less related material (2%). Assessment of posts on the r/hospice and r/palliative subreddits revealed gaps in communication between patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers in several important areas, most importantly in demystifying the dying process and providing patient and caregiver support.

Measuring goal-concordant care using electronic clinical notesJAMA Network; by Catherine L. Auriemma, Anne Song, Lake Walsh, Jason Han, Sophia Yapalater, Alexander Bain, Lindsay Haines, Stefania Scott, Casey Whitman, Stephanie Parks Taylor, Gary E. Weissman, Matthew J. Gonzales, Roshanthi Weerasinghe, Staci J. Wendt, Katherine R. Courtright; 7/3/25In this longitudinal cohort study among 109 patients with serious illness and limited prognoses, clinicians reviewed and classified 398 epochs of care as goal concordant (50%), goal discordant (19%), or of uncertain concordance (32%) with nearly perfect interrater agreement for categorizing the type of care received. These findings suggest that using electronic clinical notes to measure goal-concordant care is feasible, laying the groundwork for future automated text-based classification methods to improve reliability and pragmatism of measuring goal-concordant care for clinical and research use at scale.

[India] Enhancing palliative care through university-community partnerships: A systematic review of models, impacts, and challengesBMC Palliative Care; Alaka Chandak, Priyadarshini Bhalchandra Kulkarni; 6/25This systematic review highlights the deep potential of university–community partnerships (UCPs) to act as agents of change in palliative care education and service provision. Such collaborations complementarily improve the quality of life of the elderly while availing healthcare students with essential experiential learning opportunities. Exceptional models, such as the CARE program, illustrate the double benefit of improved community welfare and the creation of effective empathetic professionals with the capability to cater to the complex demands of caring.

Social Media Watch 7/11/25

Elderly people look at their younger reflections in this beautiful photo series by Tom Hussey Digital Synopsis; photos by Tom Hussey; retrieved from the internet 7/10/25 'Reflections of the Past' is an award-winning photo series by commercial advertising photographer Tom Hussey. The photographs show an elderly person looking pensively at the reflection of his/her younger self in the mirror. Hussey was inspired by a World War II veteran who said "I can't believe I'm going to be 80. I feel like I just came back from the war. I look in the mirror and see this old guy." It's beautiful, touching ... Editor's Note: Click here to view this touching series. The phrases "every photo tells a story" and "a picture is worth a thousand words" come to life. This award-winning campaign was used in a marketing campaign by Novartis for a treatment of Alzheimer's disease. [Our newsletter has no disclosures to report.] These photos are under strict copyright laws with strict enforcement. They can be shared easily via social media links at the top of its webpage. 

Texas flooding: Live updates and main donation linkLinks below are from CNN and the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country

Essentia nurses and healthcare workers turned away from bargaining by employer on second day of ULP strike, acute care nurses announce tentative agreement vote results Minnesota Nurses Association, Duluth, MN; Press Release; 7/9/25 On the second day of the ongoing unfair labor practice strike in Duluth and Superior, nurses and healthcare professionals across all six Essentia Health bargaining units arrived at negotiations prepared to make progress — only to be met with rejection and dismissal. ... No meaningful negotiations took place and no progress was made towards resolving the unfair labor practices. Despite Essentia Health’s reliance on costly travel nurses and its abrupt closure of essential facilities like the Solvay Hospice House, frontline healthcare workers have consistently proposed clear pathways to resolution. Today alone, negotiating team members offered to consolidate and expedite bargaining across all six contracts and offered 22 additional negotiation dates in July — both of which Essentia flatly refused.

DOJ & HHS announce reinvigoration of False Claims Act Working Group and Healthcare Fraud Enforcement Priorities Dorsey & Whitney LLP; Press Release; 7/9/25 The Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services announced the reinvigoration of a False Claims Act (“FCA”) Working Group, a joint effort between the two agencies.  The announcement was made on July 2 during remarks at the American Health Law Association (“AHLA”) Annual Meeting by Brenna Jenny, the new Deputy Assistant Attorney General of DOJ’s Commercial Litigation Branch, and in a press release that same day. This working group underscores that healthcare fraud is a priority for the Administration, despite recent staff changes and recent policy announcements about enforcement priorities in civil rights and DEI. It also underscores that robust compliance programs should continue to be a priority for healthcare-industry stakeholders.

HPCC strengthens commitment to DEIB across credentialing programs Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association / Foundation / Credentialing Center (HPNA/HPNF/HPCC); Press Release; 7/10/25 In 2025, the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC) has continued its implementation of strategic initiatives that advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) across its credentialing programs. From in-depth exam item reviews to national outreach and inclusive resource development, HPCC remains committed to ensuring fairness and inclusivity in all certification processes. The following strategic initiatives reflect the progress HPCC has made and showcase the future direction of its DEIB efforts. ... This work is part of HPCC’s broader goal to strengthen the inclusivity of its credentialing programs. As HPCC explores the expansion of DIF analyses across additional certification exams, the organization remains rooted in its mission.

Prospect Home Care & Hospice begins dispersing funds Pikes Peak Courier, Pikes Peak, CO; by Pat Hill; 7/9/25 A $200,000 gift from Prospect Home Care & Hospice Foundation, the new brush truck fills gaps for Four Mile Fire Protection District. “The problem we run into is that 20 to 26 volunteers typically show up for a fire, but I only had enough trucks to get 20 out,” said Chief Chris Hawkins. “It’s crucial; with another crew on a fire, it’s another 400 gallons of water.” The foundation funds were left from when the hospice organization was active. Mary Barrowman served the organization as president and chief executive officer from 2003 to 2018. That year, Barrowman closed the hospice/home care side but continued to offer grief counseling and individual family assistance for those suffering the loss of a loved one. After dissolving the nonprofit in 2018, Barrowman initiated Prospect’s philanthropy with small grants to organizations and agencies that helped families in need. The donation to Four Mile and an earlier one to the Florissant fire department fulfills Barrowman’s wish to establish a legacy in the name of the Prospect Home Care & Hospice.