Literature Review

Clinical capacity palliative care leaders’ top concern for 2025Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/2/24Balancing rising demand with recruitment and retention tops the list of palliative care providers’ concerns heading into next year. Nearly 800 palliative care program leaders and interdisciplinary team members from across the country recently weighed in on a survey from the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). Respondents included both adult and pediatric palliative care providers who provided feedback on their 2025 outlook in the organization’s first iteration of its annual Palliative Pulse survey. [Survey results included:]

Comfort home in Scottsville reopens after four-year hiatus NBC News 10, Rochester, NY; by Eriketa Cost; 9/27/24 A local hospice home in Scottsville re-opened, after four years of rebuilding from the inside out. You may recall how much of an effect COVID-19 had on these services. The home, Patrick Place, was unable to hold fundraisers. Dozens of volunteers stepped down out of fear for the virus, and it took time to bring them back. The emails and phone calls didn’t stop during the downtime, though, said Cissy Leblanc, secretary on the board for Patrick Place. Organizers were eager to open again, but it took hard work. Along the way, the team built a new deck and furnished the basement, adding a conference room and special area for training volunteers. These, are all projects that couldn’t have happened with someone living there, said chairman Patrick Hanley. The home opened in early September with 55 volunteers. The goal is to reach 75. ...

Community partnership helps Veterans navigate their health care U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC; by Dr. Chien Chen; 9/27/24 VA’s National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP) helps create and manage partnerships between VA and community organizations. The goal is simple: bring together VA and those in the community who share the same goals and mission when it comes to providing Veterans with outstanding health care and support. They are called Veteran Community Partnerships, or VCPs. “Developing and nurturing strong partnerships with VA and community providers is crucial to supporting Veteran health care,” said Dr. Jamie Davis, HAP health system specialist. “VCPs are instrumental in ensuring these partnerships enhance the health and well-being of Veterans across the country.” The East Bay VCP at Martinez VA is part of Northern California VA. Martinez VAMC and Veteran Community Partnerships focus on getting Veterans access to all available health care services. 

Building a clinic-based palliative care program Hospice News; by Jennifer Murtoff; 9/25/24 Palliative care is often delivered in the hospital setting or in the home, but a number of organizations have set up clinics to deliver those services. These locations often assist patients by offering a variety of services beyond symptom management. While they offer an alternative to home-based services, they present their own unique benefits and challenges. One of the agencies that uses the clinic model is Hospice of Northwest Ohio, which serves both Ohio and Michigan. Their palliative care subsidiary, Sincera — Supportive Care and Symptom Relief, launched in 2008 and recently opened a location in Oregon City, Ohio. At Sincera clinics, patients of any age who have chronic, serious illnesses can receive expert palliative care services. Creating the clinic-based model was a challenge, according to Richard Russell, president and CEO of Hospice of Northwest Ohio.

The evolving landscape of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A fatal disease!  Delveinsight; 9/24/24 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness, paralysis, and ultimately, death. ... Despite ALS being relatively rare, affecting 2-5 per 100,000 people worldwide, the question Is ALS on the rise? is gaining attention. While global prevalence has not significantly increased, improved diagnostic techniques, earlier detection, and greater awareness have led to a more accurate identification of ALS cases. Many researchers believe that enhanced surveillance and better tools for genetic testing are uncovering more cases than previously recognized, rather than a true rise in the disease’s incidence. However, with an aging global population, the burden of ALS may grow, as age is a major risk factor. Editor's note: Do you provide disease-specific training for your staff? ALS patients' and families' needs are unique. A significant disease comparison is between ALZ (Alzheimer's) and ALS. With ALZ (Alzheimer's), the brain decreases its abilities to function while the body can remain strong; the person is mobile with cognitive limitations. In contrast, with ALS, the body decreases its abilities to function while the brain/mind/emotions can remain strong. The person is immobile with cognitive awareness, but extreme physical limitations in communicating one's thoughts, emotions, and needs. ALS-specific communication tools provide crucial help for all. For more information in your location, visit The ALS Association's USA map.

How palliative care-ACO partnerships could reduce health disparities Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 9/18/24 Palliative care providers engaging in Accountable Care Organization (ACO) relationships have the potential to make significant strides in bridging inequitable gaps of access. Groups of physicians, hospitals and other health care providers voluntarily join forces in ACOs, which are designed to offer high-quality, coordinated care to Medicare patients. Collaborating or contracting with ACO networks can help palliative care providers better understand and address the leading barriers among underserved populations as they move across the continuum, said Empath Health CEO Jonathan Fleece. The ACO reimbursement landscape includes incentives and quality measures designed to improve outcomes based on population needs. Providing palliative care through ACO relationships can result in greater potential to address patients’ full scope of medical, non-medical and psychosocial needs further upstream in their illness trajectories, Fleece stated, speaking at the recent Hospice News Palliative Care Virtual Summit.

When should you refer patients with COPD to palliative care? Physician's Weekly; by Jennifer Philip; 9/17/24 Researchers identified 17 major and 30 minor criteria to guide physicians in referring their patients with COPD to specialty palliative care. ...

Honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month CMS.gov - CMS Office of Minority Health Menu; for 9/15-10/15 September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to honor the 63.7 million Hispanic people living in the United States. This month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) would like to raise awareness of the health disparities that impact Hispanic Americans and highlight efforts to reduce gaps in health care. Hispanic Americans are at greater risk of various health conditions due to a lack of preventive care and health insurance, as well as language barriers. In 2022, almost 28% of Hispanic adults didn’t have health insurance compared to Black (13.3%), White (7.4%), and Asian (7.1%) adults. Resources:

How music therapy helps this young cancer patient in Louisville hold on to 'pure joy' ABC WHAS-11, Louisville, KY; by Brooke Hasch; 9/17/24Music therapists come prepared for any mood, hoping to bring light to a dark situation. Within the Norton Healthcare system, they help patients cope with pain, discomfort, and anxiety often associated with hospitalization. Brett Northrup's the music therapist for Norton Children's Cancer Institute, a role he stepped into 13 years ago. "I didn't know it existed, and then when I discovered this field, I said, 'this is it. This is what I'm going to do the rest of my life,'" he said. Northrup doesn't miss a beat when a patient's in need of a smile or a moment of normalcy. He's been there many times for 4-year-old Trey Lowman, who's gone through more than most people will in a lifetime. ... "When you put [Trey] and Brett together, it's magic," [Trey's mom] said. "He's full of joy and that's one thing that cancer hasn't been able to take from him."

Mayo Clinic Minute: Palliative medicine for cancer patients Mayo Clinic; by Sonya Goins; 9/16/24 Patients undergoing cancer treatments often use palliative medicine to cope with nausea, fatigue and other bothersome symptoms. Palliative medicine is a medical specialty whose main focus is supporting patients and families/caregivers who need help managing symptoms related to cancer or side effects related to the treatment of cancer, along with other life-limiting diseases. Dr. Touré Barksdale, a Mayo Clinic cancer rehabilitation and palliative medicine specialist, explains the benefits of palliative care.

Quality indicators for palliative care established European Cooperation in Sciene and Technology (COST); 9/12/24 Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families facing problems associated with life-threatening illnesses. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that each year, an estimated 56.8 million people, including 25.7 million in the last year of life, need palliative care. ... To tackle these issues, the Council of Europe, WHO, and the United Nations have addressed these problems and established international standards and recommendations to improve palliative care worldwide. ... Teaching palliative care demands a culturally sensitive and inclusive curriculum, a specific mix of skills and expertise, and innovative teaching methods. European recommendations exist for undergraduate medical, nursing, psychology, and social work education and postgraduate training in medicine. ...

Living your best life means embracing the last years, too UCSF - The University of California - San Francisco; by Suzanne Leigh; 9/9/24 UC San Francisco is working with nonprofits that serve seniors and patients with serious medical conditions to raise awareness about palliative care and advance care planning. The partnerships are the result of a collaboration between the UCSF Division of Palliative Medicine and the San Francisco Palliative Care Work Group (PCWG), which is working to address inequities among communities of color in accessing palliative care and advance care planning.

Telehealth palliative care helps people living with advanced cancer Cancer Health; by Liz Highleyman; 9/9/24 Virtual palliative care can be as effective as in-person care, according to a recent study. Oncology palliative care is intended to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. It is not the same as hospice care, and it can help people at any stage of cancer. National guidelines recommend integrating palliative care from the time of diagnosis for people with advanced cancer, but it is underutilized in part due to a shortage of trained providers. This study included 1,250 adults at 22 U.S. cancer centers who were diagnosed with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. They had palliative care sessions every four weeks conducted either via video or in person. After six months, quality-of-life scores were equivalent in the two groups. They also did not differ significantly in terms of depression or anxiety, coping skills, understanding treatment goals or perception of their prognosis.