Literature Review

Integrating palliative care education into hematology-oncology fellowshipsThe ASCO Post; 6/11/2024An integrated palliative care rotation for hematology-oncology fellows may improve their palliative care knowledge and skill confidence, according to findings presented by Bauman et al at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract 9007). “Despite national guidelines advocating that patients with advanced cancer receive dedicated palliative care services, many patients lack access to specialty palliative care due to workforce shortages,” stressed lead study author Jessica Bauman, MD, Associate Professor in the Department of Hematology/Oncology, Chief of the Division of Head and Neck Medical Oncology, and Director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Training Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center. “Training hematology-oncologists to provide primary palliative care could close this gap and ensure [the] basic palliative care needs of patients are met,” she highlighted.

Palliative care considerations in frail older adults Annals of Palliative Medicine; by Andrew E Russell, Rachel Denny, Pearl G Lee, Marcos L Montagnini; 6/6/24, online ahead of print...This paper aims to guide clinicians in providing patientcentered care for older adults with frailty in the outpatient setting. Through a comprehensive literature review, we describe the leading models of frailty, frailty screening tools used in the clinical setting, and the assessment and management of palliative care needs in frail patients. We also describe emerging models of care focusing on palliative care for older adults with frailty and discuss issues related to access to palliative care for this population.

Disparities identified in palliative care use among men with prostate cancerRenal + Urology News; by Natasha Persaud; 6/4/24Palliative care utilization among men with prostate cancer is suboptimal but improving, investigators reported at the 2024 ASCO annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois. Stanley Ozogbo, MBBS, MPH, of St Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital in Ohio, and colleagues studied over 2 million prostate cancer hospital admissions using the 2010-2019 US Nationwide Inpatient Sample. The found an overall prevalence of palliative utilization of 5.3% even though palliative care consultations significantly improved by an average of 7.7% per year over the study period. Utilization improved from 2010 through 2016, but then began to decline from 2017-2019. The study identified disparities in palliative utilization. Black patients were 7% less likely than White patients to receive palliative care services, Dr Ozogbo’s team reported. Compared with Medicare recipients, patients with Medicaid, private insurance, or other insurance types had significant 1.5-, 1.3-, and 2.2-fold increased odds of palliative care utilization, respectively. Patients aged 70 years or older were a significant 6% more likely to receive palliative care compared with younger patients. Palliative care use was a significant 9% and 40% more likely for patients admitted to urban vs rural hospitals and teaching vs non-teaching hospitals, respectively, the investigators reported. Hospitals in the Northeast were 1.4- and 1.5-fold more likely to refer to palliative care compared with hospitals in the South or West, respectively.

State Palliative Care Advisory Councils are advancing serious illness care National Academy for State Health Policy; by Ella Taggart; 5/30/24 Twenty-four states have a palliative care advisory council, coalition, or task force created through state legislation or regulation to guide work to support and expand care for those with serious illness. We talked to leaders of active and longstanding councils in Maine, Maryland, and Texas to learn about their creation, impact, and lessons learned for states looking to do the same. ... Learn more about the states that have councils, including their establishment and activity, on NASHP’s Palliative Care Advisory Task Forces Tracker [link provided with the source article].

Sixth annual Run, Walk n Roll 5K continues mission [more than $110,000] Grosse Pointe News; by GPN Staff; 5/29/24 Providing funding for pediatric palliative care is the goal of the sixth annual Run, Walk n Roll 5K. ... [This] year's event is virtual, so participants can run, walk or roll from anywhere throught the month of June. ... Since its inception, the event has raised nearly $600,000 for the palliative care program at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor. This year's event already has more than 70 sponsors, more than $110,000 raised and participants on six continents and across the U.S. 

How palliative care is changing in today’s health care environment Hospice News; by Molly Bookner; 5/29/24 As the palliative care field continues to grow and transform, understanding the current trends, outlook, relevant challenges and necessary skills for future leaders is critical. Two significant trends impacting the field of palliative care currently, according to experts, are the expansion of services and the integration of technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI). Dr. Vicki Jackson, board president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), noted that palliative care has demonstrated a positive impact on patient-reported outcomes across various illnesses, including cancer, heart, liver, kidney disease and dementia. 

Disparities in palliative care use for patients with blood cancer who died in the hospital The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Tien-Chan Hsieh, Yee Hui Yeo, Guangchen Zou, Chan Zhou, Arlene Ash; 5/27/24 online ahead of printBackground: Palliative care can enhance quality of life during a terminal hospitalization. Despite advances in diagnostic and treatment tools, blood cancers lag behind solid malignancies in palliative use. It is not clear what factors affect palliative care use in blood cancer. Conclusions: This study highlights disparities in palliative care use among blood-cancer patients who died in the hospital. It seems likely that many of the 46% who did not receive palliative care could have benefitted from it. Interventions are likely needed to achieve equitable access to ideal levels of palliative care services in late-stage blood cancer.

Transformative peer connections: Early experiences from the ASCO Palliative Care Community of Practice American Society of Clinical Oncology; by Mazie Tsang, Cristiane Bergerot, Natasha Dhawan, Rushil Patel, Darcy Burbage, Tingting Zhang, Jafar Al-Mondhiry, Joseph McCollom, Ramy Sedhom; 5/22/24 online ahead of print in June 2024  ... there are barriers to implementing palliative oncology at many institutions for myriad reasons. ... In this article, we discuss an innovative strategy that ASCO implemented called the Communities of Practice (CoP). We share our experiences as the Palliative Care CoP and how our group seeks to develop processes and structures to collectively promote systemic change and enhance palliative care delivery for people with cancer. Our Palliative Care CoP engages with senior leaders, administrators, and those in power to achieve a shared vision of delivering holistic health care for people with serious illness. ... [We address] eight main domains:

Congress earmarks $12.5 million for palliative care research

New palliative care nonprofit encourages open, candid conversations about death, dying[NC] ABC 13 News; by Kimberly King; 5/16/24Swannanoa, NC (WLOS) - There’s a national movement among a segment of palliative and hospice care workers to help people facing a terminal illness find the strength to have more candid conversations around death. The goal is to ease the final days not only for the individual dying but for their loved ones at a most painful time. Dr. Aditi Sethi, a physician specializing in hospice and palliative care, founded the nonprofit Center for Conscious Living and Dying (CCLD) based in Swannanoa. Sethi’s work focuses on helping people come to terms with mortality and break the stigma of avoiding the hard conversations about it.

Comprehensive Care in South Valparaiso: Clinicl bridges urgent and palliative needs ABNewsWire; 5/14/24 ... South Valparaiso – Immediate & Urgent Care Clinic’s expansion into palliative care signifies a positive step towards a more comprehensive healthcare landscape in South Valparaiso. Here’s a look at some potential implications of this development:

60 racial disparities in hospitalization outcomes among women With metastatic breast cancer in the United States by palliative care utilizationCancer Network; by Debu Tripathy, MD; 5/10/24 Background: While studies have reported that members of racial and minority populations hospitalized with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) have lower palliative care use than non-Hispanic White women, disparities in hospital-associated outcomes among inpatients have not been explored in this population. We examined the racial disparities in hospitalization outcomes among adult women with a diagnosis of MBC, stratified by receipt of palliative care. Conclusions: Despite the improvement in palliative care use over the years, members of racial minority populations continue to have poorer outcomes. However, patients who are Black with MBC who received palliative care had similar in-hospital mortality and were less likely to be discharged to a facility when compared with their White counterparts.

Sharp decline in early outpatient palliative care despite HMP workforce growth Clinical Pain Advisor; by Lisa Kuhn, PhD; 4/26/24 While the number of US Medicare hospice and palliative medicine (HPM) physicians has increased sharply from 2008 to 2020, early outpatient access to specialized care declined significantly during this period, with care concentrated in metropolitan and inpatient settings, according to study results published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of HPM fellows increased from 141 to 401. However, recent estimates suggest insufficient capacity to meet the demand for palliative care and hospice needs.