Literature Review

Solomon Center’s groundbreaking palliative care law and policy initiative drives nationwide reforms Yale Law School; Press Release; 1/15/26 The Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at Yale Law School has established the country’s first comprehensive interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to palliative medical care, law, and policy — a pathbreaking effort that is already shaping reforms for patients of all ages. ... The work is supported by a first-of-its kind open-access research platform for palliative care policy across the states, developed by the Center, and in collaboration with partners at Yale School of Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, Yale School of Nursing, and Mount Sinai’s nationally renowned Center to Advance Palliative Care.

CAPC fireside chat: Leading through change and uncertainty in palliative careAmerican Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) and Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC); to be presented by Brynn Bowan, MPA, Rikki Hopper, FNPT-C, MBA, Kristina Newport, MD, FAAHPM, and R. Sean Morrison, MD; retrieved 1/2/26, to be presented 1/14/25, 3:00-4:00 ESTPeriods of organizational or environmental change can test even the most experienced leaders. ... In this fireside chat, national leaders from CAPC, AAHPM, HPNA, and the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai will reflect on how palliative care leaders can stay grounded and effective during times of uncertainty—maintaining clarity, confidence, and compassion while advancing the field. Attendees will explore strategies to sustain team morale and well-being, foster collaboration across disciplines, and keep equity, quality, and patient-centered care at the heart of their work. The discussion will also highlight emerging opportunities for innovation, research, and shared leadership as palliative care continues to evolve within a changing health care landscape. [Registration is free.]

How palliative services can smooth over transitions of care Hospice News; by Kevin Ryan; 12/17/25 Transitions of care are crucial moments for patients, often fraught with risks, but palliative care providers can help ensure that the changes go more smoothly. One way of doing this is through transitional care. Transitional care is a dynamic and highly personalized type of care that provides care services to assist patients as they move between different levels of health care. This may include a patient transitioning from a hospital setting to another care facility, or to their home. Transitional care helps bridge service gaps and enhances communication as patients move between health care settings, according to Dr. Diane Meier, founder of the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). 

Palliative and end of life care: CEJA reports American Medical Association (AMA); updated 12/15/25 Reports by the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) interpret the AMA Principles of Medical Ethics to provide practical ethics guidance on timely topics. When the AMA House of Delegates adopts the recommendations of a CEJA report they become Opinions in the Code of Medical Ethics. The body of the report, which sets out CEJA’s ethics analysis, is archived and remains available as a resource to help users apply guidance. [Go to the original AMA source to access its CEJA reports:]

'Rehabbed to death’: Bringing more palliative, hospice care to SNFs Hospice News; by Kristin Easterling; 11/26/25 Patients in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) can become trapped in a “rehabbed to death” cycle that could be prevented with better access to palliative care and hospice. The Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) used by SNFs could be harnessed to enable more palliative care and earlier admission to hospice, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.Editor's Note: Click below for the study and related articles we've posted.

[Ireland] Palliative care research priorities highlighted in new reportIrish Medical Times; by Michael McHale; 11/21/25Demand for palliative care is estimated to grow by 75 per cent in the Republic of Ireland by 2046 and 31 per cent in Northern Ireland by 2040... The report, ‘All Ireland Palliative and End-of-Life Care Research Priorities 2025-2030’, was launched at the annual Palliative Care Research Network Symposium, which took place in Dublin on Thursday... The top 10 areas identified for further research [include]:

Balancing caregiving and personal well-being: The role of palliative care WISHTV.com-8, Indianapolis, IN; by Alfonso Ruvalcaba Trujillo; 11/17/25 Nearly 60 million Americans are providing unpaid care for loved ones facing serious illness, often without the necessary support, according to recent reports. ... Dr. Michael Gabriel, National Medical Director for Carelon Palliative Care, explains that palliative care offers an extra layer of support alongside regular medical treatment, focusing on improving quality of life by addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Care of the dying patient: Maximizing compassionate care on the battlefield Military Medicine; by Kathryn B Muir, Jeremy Edwards, Rebeccah Dindinger, Benjamin Ingram, Benjamin Baker; 11/9/25... Palliative care has also been employed throughout history on the battlefield and is a vital component of compassionate care for dying patients. Unfortunately, its use on the battlefield is an unpalatable topic with little formal documentation. ... We must prepare now to reduce the pain and suffering of dying patients on the battlefield and potentially mitigate the degree of moral injury sustained by the personnel managing those casualties. Consider ...

Palliative care & hospice poll reveals major gaps Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan; by Michigan Medicine; 11/6/25 Many older adults don’t know much about care options for people with serious illness, but express interest once they’re explained to them. ... In all, 33% of older Michiganders were aware of palliative care, ... leaving 67% saying they knew little or nothing about it. But after being given the definition of palliative care, 79% of Michiganders were interested in receiving palliative care if they had a serious illness ... Michiganders were as likely as those in the rest of the U.S. to know about (68%) and be interested in (82%) hospice care. However, there was a sizable gap in hospice interest between Black Michiganders (70%) and white Michiganders (84%). 

The Valerie Fund pledges $3.5 million to establish new pediatric pain and palliative care program at Hackensack Meridian Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital News Wise, Hackensack, NJ; by Hackensack Meridian Health; 11/3/25 Hackensack Meridian Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital today announced a transformative, 5-year, $3.5 million commitment from The Valerie Fund to significantly expand its Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care Program. The landmark donation will establish The Valerie Fund Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care Program at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, located at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ, ... This new partnership will allow the hospital to care for more people annually, growing from approximately 1,750 to 3,500 patient visits. 

CAPC and the National Kidney Foundation partner on The Case for Palliative Care in Kidney CareCAPC blog; 10/8/25New publication underscores how palliative care can improve outcomes for patients with advanced kidney disease. The CAPC and the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) have released a new publication, The Case for Palliative Care in Kidney Care, which emphasizes the critical need to integrate palliative care services into the treatment of patients with advanced kidney disease.

The results are in: Palliative care professionals share how they’re doing in 2025CAPC blog; by Rachael Heitner; 10/8/25CAPC’s second annual Palliative Pulse survey offers insight on how palliative care professionals across the country are feeling this year and what they’re focused on—see how they responded... This year, 854 palliative care professionals participated in the Palliative Pulse survey... Top concerns for the coming year:

With palliative care, earlier referrals mean fewer end-of-life emergency department visits ONS Voice; by Anne Snively, MBA, CAE; 10/15/25 Patients with cancer who are referred to palliative care within one month of death have a mean of 1.17 emergency department (ED) visits, compared to a mean of 0.13 visits for patients referred to palliative care 12 months or more before death—a 160% difference. The data are part of a new study published in JAMA Network Open in July 2025. ... Most of ED visits (47.0%) and EOL ED visits (81.4%) occurred within one month of the palliative care consultation, but the researchers found that both kinds of ED visits “gradually decreased as the time from consultation to death extended.”