Literature Review

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.

Home-based palliative care for cancer patients: Evaluating a decade of nursing-led interventionsAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; Júnia de Oliveira Alves, RN; Eduardo Bruera, MD; Mônica Isaura Corrêa, MD; Sonia Souza, PhD; Marília Ávila de Freitas Aguiar, PhD; Ana Paula Drummond-Lage, PhD; 6/25Home-based palliative care is an effective approach for managing advanced-stage cancer patients, particularly in regions with limited healthcare infrastructure. In Brazil, the “Better at Home” Program enables interdisciplinary teams to deliver palliative care in patients’ homes, with nurses playing a central role in providing clinical and supportive interventions. Registered nurses (RNs) were responsible for complex procedures, supervision of nursing technicians (NTs), and caregiver training, while NTs performed routine clinical tasks and assisted with daily care. Notably, 99.4% of patients died at home, suggesting alignment with palliative goals of care. These findings underscore the central role of RNs in coordinating and delivering home-based palliative oncology care within a multidisciplinary framework.

Pallitus Health Partners receives CHAP Accreditation for Adult Palliative Care and Pediatric Care Certification for Kourageous Kids Pallitus Health Partners, Louisville, KY; Press Release; 7/8/25 Community Health Accreditation Partner, Inc. (CHAP) has awarded Care Guide Partners, Inc. (dba Pallitus Health Partners) CHAP Accreditation under the CHAP Palliative Care Standards of Excellence. The nonprofit also received certification for its Kourageous Kids (KKids) palliative care program. CHAP Accreditation demonstrates that Pallitus Health Partners meets the industry’s highest nationally recognized standards. The rigorous evaluation by CHAP focuses on structure and function, quality of services and products, human and financial resources, and long-term viability. Simply stated, adherence to CHAP’s standards leads to better quality care. ... Pallitus Health Partners, an affiliate of Hosparus Health, offers comprehensive palliative care for serious illnesses in Kentucky and Indiana. Editor's Note: Congratulations to Pallitus Health Partners and Hosparus Health! This accreditation marks yet another milestone of excellence this organization—originally founded as Hospice of Louisville—which pioneered one of the nation’s first pediatric hospice teams in 1980. I had the privilege of serving on the Pediatric Team of Hospice & Palliative Care of Louisville from 1997 to 2001. Profound experiences with these children, their parents, siblings, grandparents, our dedicated team members, and community partners are forever embedded in me. They continue to shape my perspective and purpose in my role as editor in chief of this newsletter.

Virginia Cancer Specialists expands and rebrands its Palliative Care Program to support patients through every step of cancer treatment PR Newswire, Fairfax, VA; Press Release; 7/8/25 Virginia Cancer Specialists, the largest private cancer practice in Northern Virginia, named #1 practice in cancer care and all medical specialties by Castle Connolly in 2024 and 2025, is proud to announce the rebranding and expansion of its former Palliative Care Program – now called Supportive Cancer Care – to deliver more comprehensive, integrated support services to help patients better maintain quality of life throughout the treatment process. Virginia Cancer Specialists designed this newly enhanced program with 3 key objectives:

Disparities in receipt of palliative-intent treatment among disaggregated Hispanic populations with breast, lung, and prostate cancer in the United StatesCancer; Shriya K. Garg BS; Khushi Kohli BA; Isha K. Garg BS; Yash K. Garg BS; Lilac G. Nguyen BS; Isabella S. Nguyen BS; Erin Jay G. Feliciano MD, MBA; Yefri A. Baez MD; Brandon A. Mahal MD; Puneeth Iyengar MD, PhD; Daniel R. Gomez MD, MBA; Kaitlyn Lapen MD; Edward Christopher Dee MD; 5/25 This study examines disparities in the receipt of palliative-intent interventions among Hispanic subgroups with advanced lung, breast, and prostate cancer. Among 945,894 total patients, disaggregated analyses revealed reduced receipt of palliative-intent interventions for patients with lung, breast, and prostate cancer of Mexican descent ... compared to non-Hispanic White patients. Receipt for patients of South or Central American descent was reduced in comparison to non-Hispanic White patients for lung and breast cancer ... Uptake of palliative interventions for metastatic lung and breast cancer was reduced for patients of Cuban descent ..., and was lower for patients of Dominican descent with breast cancer, compared to non-Hispanic White patients ... These findings demonstrate disparities in the receipt of palliative-intent interventions among disaggregated Hispanic subgroups. This study highlights the need for disaggregated research to further characterize these disparities and their drivers.

Palliative care knowledge, attitudes, and self-competence of nurses working in hospital settingsJournal of Palliative Care; Mona Ibrahim Hebeshy, PhD, RN; Darcy Copeland, PhD, RN; 6/25With the growing need to integrate palliative care into healthcare systems, nurses in hospital settings often provide care for patients with life-limiting conditions, many of whom lack formal education in palliative care. [Conclusions:] Nurses generally feel competent; however, they often lack confidence in addressing patients’ social and spiritual needs. They experienced unease when discussing death and exhibited paternalistic attitudes. Significant differences were found in educational background, nursing experience, personal caregiving experience, and practice setting. Positive correlations exist between attitudes, knowledge, and self-competence, indicating that greater knowledge and competence were associated with better attitudes toward end-of-life care.

Palliative care in the ICU: From oxymoron to standard of careIntensive Care Medicine; Nancy Kentish-Barnes, Judith E. Nelson; 6/25 Palliative care can be integrated into intensive care through ICU clinicians and palliative care specialists, and these approaches are complementary and synergistic. One study found that proactive specialist involvement in ICU rounds for high-risk patients led to more and earlier family meetings and shorter hospital stays. However, collaboration challenges, such as continuity of communication, highlight the need for close team cooperation. The integrative model trains intensivists and ICU nurses to embed palliative care into routine practice, ideally starting in medical and nursing education. Research has shown that improved communication and support from intensivists and ICU nurses are associated with better bereavement outcomes for families, including reduced post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, and prolonged grief.

Trump administration to end 988 suicide prevention specialized service for LGBTQ+ youth in JulyCNN; by Jacqueline Howard; 6/18/25The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth will no longer be in operation starting July 17, according to a statement from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). ... According to the latest data from SAMHSA, more than 14.5 million people have called, texted or sent chats to the 988 Lifeline and have been transferred to a crisis contact center since July 2022. Nearly 1.3 million of those were routed to the LGBTQ+ specialized service.Editor's Note: This 988 LGBTQ+ specialized option was piloted in September 2020, expanded on March 6, 2025, and rolled out fully nationwide in July 2023. This data translates to approximately 1,250 LGBTQ calls per day; 52 calls per hour; 1 call per minute. Who--in your world of family and friends--might this ultimately affect? Research, data, and personal stories (sure to be in each of our circles of family and friends) tell us why this matters. A resource for you to use is The Handbook of LGBTQIA-inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care, 2nd edition by Kimberly D. Acquaviva. This handbook is the first place winner, 2024 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award in Palliative Care and Hospice.

[United Kingdom] King's College London: Half of UK adults worried about painful death King's College London; 6/24/25 Almost half (47%) of UK adults are worried that they or their loved ones will have a painful or undignified death, according to a survey commissioned by King’s College London. The survey conducted by Focaldata explores public attitudes to death and dying and finds that almost half (44%) of respondents also feel worried about the quality of palliative and end-of-life care in the UK. Previous research indicates that up to 90% of people in the UK will require palliative care before they die. ... 40% of respondents said they did not know how to access palliative care in their area, and almost one third said they did not know enough about the healthcare system to find the support that a dying person needs. 

Inside the Archives: How George Soros Changed End-of-Life Care in AmericaOpen Society Foundations; by Elizabeth Rubin; 6/27/25The Project on Death in America (PDIA) ran from 1994 to 2003, with an ambitious goal: to transform the experience of dying in the U.S. Journalist Elizabeth Rubin spoke with Dr. Kathy Foley, the physician George Soros chose to lead it, to reflect on its impact... Soros’s fundamental belief was simple: Death deserves the same careful attention we give to life... [Dr. Kathy Foley commented] “We had to educate people that palliative care isn’t just about dying, but about supporting patients with serious illnesses and improving their quality of life.”Notable mentions: Kathy Foley, Susan D. Block, Robert ("Bo") A. Burt, Andy Billings, Robert N. Butler, David J. Rothman, Joanne Lynn, Patricia Prem, Ana Dumois, William Zabel, James Tulsky, Tony Back, Bob Arnold, Diane E. Meyer, Center to Advance Palliative Care, R. Sean Morrison, National Palliative Care Research Center, Richard Payne, Angola Prison Project, Lewis Cohen, Judy Nelson, Steve Pantalat, Tammy Quest, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Kornfeld Foundation, Bill Moyers, and On Our Own Terms: Moyers on Dying.

Zuranolone in palliative care: Promise and practicality for the rapid treatment of depressionThe American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; Eric Prommer; 6/25Zuranolone is an orally available antidepressant classified as a neuroactive steroid. Neuroactive steroids act as positive allosteric modulators for both synaptic and extrasynaptic GABA, making them distinct from currently available drugs targeting major depression and insomnia. By modulating GABA binding sites, neuroactive steroids enhance the function of GABA, which is depressed in major depression. The drug has a rapid onset of action, which differs from currently available antidepressants that are used in palliative care. [This] ... paper will review the pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, safety profile, and clinical studies showing its effectiveness in major depression and how it can potentially be helpful in the palliative care population.

Palliative care in liver transplantationCurrent Transplantation Reports; Michelle Ng, Elliot Tapper; 5/25 Palliative care is an underutilized resource due to the misconception that being a liver transplant candidate precludes patients from accessing these services. However, early integration of palliative care has become increasingly important for both pre- and post-liver transplant patients as it not only improves patient outcomes, but also promotes quality of life that extends beyond graft or patient survival. We discuss strategies to manage pain, ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, pruritis, muscle cramps, sexual dysfunction, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and malnutrition. These symptoms are best addressed with a multi-modal approach with non-pharmacologic therapies as an adjunct.