Literature Review

How AI will help the world's top hospital CEOs transform health careNewsweek, by Jeff Young; on 2/28/24Artificial intelligence is quickly showing the potential to revolutionize many aspects of care giving, from cancer diagnoses to clerical work. But AI also presents new risks, uncertainties and vexing ethical questions. With the release of Newsweek's ranking of the "World's Best Hospitals," executives at leading hospitals around the world told us how they are using the power of AI.

The future of end-of-life care: How advanced directives are revolutionizing patient autonomyBNN, by Mazhar Abbas; 2/23/24Discover hos advanced directives leverage AI, telemedicine, and patient-centered care to empower individuals in making informed end-of-life healthcare decisions, overcoming challenges, and shaping the future of healthcare.

Communicating with patients with hearing loss or deafness—Can you hear me? JAMA Intern Med, by Dianne P. O'Leary, PhD and Timothy J. O'Leary, PhD, MD... Virtually all health care professionals want to provide the best possible care and to communicate as effectively as possible. However, ... frequent communication failures are leading to inferior care for the hearing impaired. Effective communication might require some or all of the approaches listed in [this article].

4 key trends for hospices to watch in 2024 Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 2/26/24Hospice operators in 2024 are navigating a rapidly transforming environment. Four key trends hospices should watch this year:

C-suites, clinicians are burning out at both endsBecker's Hospital Review, by Alexis Kayser; 2/22/24C-suite leaders and clinicians often feel they are on opposite sides of an ever-expanding chasm. But they actually have a lot in common, according to Bruce Cummings and Paul DeChant, MD — a former executive and a former practicing physician, respectively, and perhaps an unlikely pair. Executives and physicians are both knowledge workers. Both are trained to spot and solve problems. Both crave the autonomy to fix those problems — but often, neither feels they truly have it. Both are far strides from the bright-eyed, difference-driven graduates they once were. Both are exhausted, and neither really knows how to talk about it. 

Making a case for palliative care: Creating less stressful and timelier transitions to hospiceHealthcare Tech Outlook, by Sarah DiPadova, MSN; 2/21/24When patients and their families hear the word "hospice," they panic. Misconceptions, myths and lack of education about what hospice is have resulted in patients being admitted to hospice later in the dying process than recommended. Because of this delay, quality care and valuable support are also delayed. A referral to palliative care could be the key to ensuring a timelier transition into hospice for patients and their families.Editor's Note: Sarah DiPadova, MSN, is the Director of Clinical Operattions for Hospice and Palliative Care Programs at Redeemer Health

Embodied decisions unfolding over time: a meta-ethnography systematic review of people with cancer's reasons for delaying or declining end-of-life careBMC Palliat Care, by Jessica Young, Antonia Lyons, Richard Egan, and Kevin Dew; 2/19/24Conclusions: Decisions about when (and for some, whether at all) to accept end-of-life care are made in a complex system with preferences shifting over time, in relation to the embodied experience of life-limiting cancer. Time is central to patients' end-of-life care decision-making. ... The integration of palliative care across the cancer care trajectory and earlier introduction of end-of-life care highlight the importance of these findings for improving access whilst recognising that accessing end-of-life care will not be desired by all patients.

Rural hospital alliance aims to increase access via telehealthModern Healthcare, by Alex Kacik; 2/14/24Rural hospitals are teaming up to provide specialty care to patients via a new telehealth program. Editor's Note: Full access to the article requires a subscription.

Looking at the challenges involving hospice careNPR WOSU PBS, podcast by All Sides with Anna Staver; 2/19/24Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by reducing pain and suffering for patients facing the end of life. However, physicians are voicing concerns about a prevalence of serious deficiencies in hospice care and believe it is in need of fixing.Host: Mike Thompson, WOSU chief content director of radioGuests: Dr. Ira Byock, palliative care physician and advocate; Dr. Jennifer Hirsh, hospice & palliative medicine specialist, Mt. CarmelEditor's Note: Originally aired 7/24/23; reposted 2/19/24

'A blessing': Sarasota family shares importance of hospice care after losing 5-year-old to cancerCBS News 10 Tampa Bay, by Jenny Dean; 2/16/24While the average time in hospice is 70-80 days, some people defy the odds. And that's largely due to the changes in hospice care over the years. A Sarasota family knows how difficult that decision can be. They lost their 5-year-old daughter to cancer and now say hospice care is something they wish they would have gotten sooner.

A year after Jimmy Carter entered hospice care, advocates hope his endurance drives awareness ABC News, by Bill Barrow, Associated Press; 2/18/24Since Jimmy Carter entered hospice care at his home in south Georgia one year ago, the former U.S. president has celebrated his 99th birthday, enjoyed tributes to his legacy and lost his wife of 77 years. Rosalynn Carter, who died in November, about six months after the Carter family disclosed her dementia diagnosis, lived only a few days under hospice supervision, with her frail husband at her bedside. Experts on end-of-life care say the Carters’ different paths show the range of an oft-misunderstood service. Those advocates commend the Carter family for demonstrating the realities of aging, dementia and death. They express hope that the attention spurs more Americans to seek out services intended to help patients and families in the latter stages of life.Editor's Note:

Changes in hospice care experiences during the COVID-19 pandemicRand, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society; by Maria DeYoreo, Rebecca Anhang Price, Ann C. Haas, Anagha Alka Tolpadi, Joan M. Teno, Marc N. Elliott; 2/12/24Demand for hospice and palliative care services increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospices strove to meet this demand despite staffing shortages and visitation restrictions that sometimes prevented family members and hospice staff from visiting patients in institutional settings such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. We examine how the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced the characteristics of patients receiving hospice care, the settings in which they received care, and their care experiences using national data from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Hospice Survey. The survey is completed by bereaved family caregivers following the death of the hospice patient, and is the national standard for assessing patient- and family-centeredness of hospice care.