Literature Review

AAHPM Annual Presidential CitationsAAHPM email (no link); 2/7/24American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) announced their three Presidential Citations of 2024 to be presented at Annual Assembly taking place from March 23-25 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Key palliative care trends to watch in 2024Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 1/29/24

The case for palliative care in the ICU Hospice News, by Rachel Edwards; 1/31/24An intensive care unit (ICU) stay often challenges everyone involved. Integrating palliative care could alleviate some of the suffering through symptom management, improved communication about goals and treatment, and better training and resources for staff. As ICU admissions in the final year of life become increasingly common, the need for better holistic critical care is growing.

Series of 19 online videos address paliative care issuesPress-Republican, by Robin Caudell; 1/26/24Project Compassion began with conversations over coffee after Mass between a doctor and a retired priest. Seventy-one percent of U.S. adults have never heard of palliative care. More than 12 million adults are living with a serious illness now and that number is growing exponentially, according to a press release. To help address this need, Project Compassion was developed by Father Charles Vavonese and Dr. Paul Fiacco thanks to a $500,000 grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.

Role matters in understanding 'quality' in palliative care: a qualitative analysis of patient, caregiver and practitioner perspectivesBMJ Open, by Laura M Holdsworth, Karleen Giannitrapani, Raziel C Gamboa, Claire O'Hanlon, Nainwant Singh, Anne Walling, Charlotta Lindvall, Karl Lorenz; 1/17/24Objectives: To compare the discussions from two panels on the concept of palliative care quality for patients with advanced cancer, exploring the priorities reflected in each group's perspectives.

Substance use disorder in aging and serious illnessGeriPal podcast with Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Katie Fitzgerald Jones, Jessica Merlin, Devon Check; 1/18/24The CDC’s Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain excludes those undergoing cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care. In doing so, it seems to give the impression that pain seen in cancer is inherently different than pain seen in other conditions and that those with cancer may not have the same risk for opioid use disorder as compared to other conditions.

Palliative telecare improves quality of life for those with chronic illnesses, and results last for months: StudyMedical Xpress, by CU Anschutz Medical Campus; 1/16/24Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that a team intervention, provided by phone, leads to persistent improvements in depression, anxiety, and quality of life for people managing chronic illnesses. Additionally, researchers found that the improvement in quality of life results last months after intervention concludes.

Ethnicity and palliative care: we need better data - five key considerationsBMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, by Gemma Clarke, Jamilla Akhtar Hussain, Matthew John Allsop, and Michael I Bennett; 12/23 Complete and valid ethnicity data are essential for monitoring racial and ethnic disparities but consideration needs to be given to collecting data well and using it responsibly. ... Holism is at the core of palliative care, in the approach to a person and their ‘total pain’. Extending this framework to ethnicity data engenders a responsibility across both the collection and usage of data. We outline five key considerations informed by this framework relating to ethnicity data.

"We can't save lives without you."PR Newswire, Philadelphia; 1/10/24Gift of Life's Community & Hospital Partners Advance 50-Year Legacy as the Most Generous Region in the Country ... Gift of Life has coordinated 14,196 donors and 39,469 organs for transplant – more than any other U.S. organ procurement organization (OPO) since the inception of our national donation system in 1988. Yet the need for life-saving organs continues to far exceed the number available. Each day, seventeen people die waiting for a transplant and, every ten minutes, another child or adult is added to the national waitlist.

Use of palliative care for ICU patients, familiesReview of Doherty, C., Feder, S., Gillespie-Heyman, S., & Akgün, K. M. (2023). Easing Suffering for ICU Patients and Their Families: Evidence and Opportunities for Primary and Specialty Palliative Care in the ICU. Journal of Intensive Care Medicine. Yale School of Medicine, review by Chigoziri Knokwo; 1/8/24... The authors identify the most commonly worrisome symptoms affecting ICU patients as the inability to communicate, pain, difficulty breathing, and thirst. They also highlight distressing experiences for families and caregivers of patients in the ICU, particularly depression and complicated grief. They recommend the continued incorporation of humanistic palliative care principles, considering perspectives from a more diverse representation of countries and cultures, particularly more resource-limited settings.

Provider partnerships providing driving palliative care growth  Hospice News, by Holly Vossel; 1/8/24An increasingly diverse base of health care providers have taken an interest in the palliative care space, a trend that could be indicative of how strategic growth is taking shape in the field. ... More home health care, health systems, hospices and primary care providers have gained a foothold in the palliative care space, often through community-based collaborations.

Most palliative care nurses feel unable to meet patient needsNursing Times, by Ella Devereaux; 1/4/24Junior health staff are having to make complex decisions about end-of-life care, due to a lack of out-of-hours palliative care nursing services, a new report has warned. The report, published by the Queen’s Nursing Institute and the Marie Curie Charity, has assessed how end-of-life care has changed over time and some of the issues that continue to impact the efficiency of services.