Literature Review
All posts tagged with “Palliative Care Provider News | Utilization.”
Transformative peer connections: Early experiences from the ASCO Palliative Care Community of Practice
05/27/24 at 02:00 AMTransformative 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:
How value-based models can aid palliative care team recruitment
05/24/24 at 03:00 AMHow value-based models can aid palliative care team recruitment Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/22/24 A transition from fee-for-service to value-based payment models could help palliative care providers boost recruitment and retention. Providers walk a tightrope when it comes to ensuring that their palliative care services are financially sustainable, including the ability to attract and compensate staff at competitive rates. In today’s predominant reimbursement structure, palliative care programs are often loss leaders. But moving away from fee-for-service towards value-based payment could make a difference when it comes to hiring and retention, according to Dr. Jennifer Blechman, palliative care medical director at the Oregon-based nonprofit Partners in Care. ...
Tuesday Health launches revolutionary Supportive Care solution with $60 million of strategic investment from healthcare leaders
05/24/24 at 03:00 AMTuesday Health launches revolutionary Supportive Care solution with $60 million of strategic investment from healthcare leadersInvestors Observier; by PR Newswire; 5/21/24Tuesday Health, a pioneer in value-based care dedicated to transforming serious illness, has launched its innovative supportive care solution in partnership with Valtruis, Blue Venture Fund, Mass General Brigham Ventures , and CareSource. This alliance brings a $60 million strategic investment to Tuesday Health, fueling its mission to redefine supportive care for patients and caregivers facing serious illnesses. "Leveraging clinical expertise, advanced data solutions, and cutting-edge technology, while partnering with Ohio's largest Medicaid plan, its largest hospice provider and the unmatched palliative care experience of Mass General, Tuesday Health is dedicated to tackling one of healthcare's biggest challenges-providing support and care in the right setting, at the right time, for those facing serious illness", said Jim Wieland, CEO of Tuesday Health.Editor's Note: What is the difference between supportive care and palliative care? Click here for a description from ASCO, the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice rebrands to ‘Andwell Health Partners’
05/24/24 at 02:00 AMAndroscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice rebrands to ‘Andwell Health Partners’ Home Health Care News; by Andrew Donlan; 5/21/24 The Maine-based Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice is rebranding to “better reflect its evolutions and future,” and will be operating under the name Andwell Health Partners moving forward. ... Andwell – formerly Androscoggin – is a nonprofit operator that employs more than 500 workers across all 16 counties in Maine. The company ... has expanded past just home health care over the years to provide hospice, palliative, behavioral health and pediatric care services to patients. Its president and CEO, Ken Albert, has served on the board of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) ... including as chairperson of the board. ... The word Andwell is “an amalgamation of the organization’s history, mission and services,” the company said. Specifically, the “And” makes reference to Androscoggin, the “Well” emphasizes the focus on health and wellbeing and “Dwell” evokes its home-based care focus.
Life support decisions are usually made within 72 hours. Is that too soon?
05/23/24 at 03:00 AMLife support decisions are usually made within 72 hours. Is that too soon? Advisory Board; by Daily Briefing; 5/21/24After a patient suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and is on a ventilator, when is the right time to withdraw life support? A new study published in the Journal of Neurotrauma suggests that doctors and patient family members should wait a bit longer than usual. ... The researchers found that the majority of patients whose life support wasn't withdrawn ended up dying in the hospital anyways within about six days. However, 42% of patients who continued life support recovered enough within the following year to have some level of independence, and a few even returned to their former lives.
End-of-life talks, planning benefit all racial groups, study finds
05/23/24 at 03:00 AMEnd-of-life talks, planning benefit all racial groups, study finds McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Kristen Fischer ... Having formal advanced care planning (ACP) in place was linked to higher odds of receiving care that aligned with individuals’ goals, the researchers found. The study evaluated how ACP and goal-concordant care (GCC) — an approach that aims to meet the patient’s goal and includes ACP and conversations about care goals — affected people of different races. The report was published on May 18 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The framework is especially important for people in racial or ethnic minority populations who have a greater risk of poor end-of-life outcomes and don’t receive GCC. ... Older adults are more likely to receive hospice care at the end of life compared to previous decades, but a lot of people still report care that didn’t meet their preferences, the authors noted.
In good hands: VA medical center introduces new inpatient hospice room and dialysis suites
05/23/24 at 03:00 AMIn good hands: VA medical center introduces new inpatient hospice room and dialysis suites Salisbury Post; by Brad Dountz; 5/21/24The W.B. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center ... held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new inpatient hospice room, dialysis suites and six patient care rooms earlier this month. The amenities will allow veterans to get the treatment they need. Construction began during the days of COVID, but thanks to the work of the VA employees who built it, veterans can finally reap the benefits. “We come together to honor those who have selflessly served our country and now require specialized care. Some of them are in their final moments,” said Dr. Kamran Lateef, chief of hospital medicine. “In this sanctuary of compassion and solace, every detail has been meticulously crafted to offer the highest quality of care tailored to the unique needs of our beloved veterans.”
PACE program officially launches in Greater Peoria area
05/17/24 at 03:00 AMPACE program officially launches in Greater Peoria area OSF HelathCare, Peoria, IL; by Nathan Pritzker; 5/14/24 It’s a new and exciting day for older adults receiving health care services in the Greater Peoria area. After months of preparation, the state of Illinois and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have awarded OSF HealthCare a contract to be one of the first in the state to offer Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Enrollment for the program, known as OSF PACE, is currently underway with services officially beginning June 1.“OSF PACE will really help the people in the Tri-County area stay in their home and community,” says Nathan Pritzker, executive director of OSF PACE.
Comprehensive Care in South Valparaiso: Clinical bridges urgent and palliative needs
05/16/24 at 03:00 AMComprehensive 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:
Hospital CEOs ask patients to receive care at home
05/15/24 at 03:00 AMHospital CEOs ask patients to receive care at home Becker's Hospital Review; by Madeline Ashley; 5/14/24 Hospital executives are making the push to move more care, specifically recovery rooms and exams, out of the hospital and into patient homes, to potentially save money and improve finances as the country continues to move out of the pandemic, Politico reported May 11. And Congress is supporting these efforts by introducing legislation that would expand at-home care and to allow Medicare to continue funding telehealth. Here are five findings from the report: ... [Click on the title's link to read more.]
Life Coordinated Commonwealth PACE holds ribbon cutting
05/14/24 at 03:00 AMLife Coordinated Commonwealth Pace holds ribbon cutting Marshall County Daily; by Staff Report; 5/10/24 Life Coordinated Commonwealth Pace held a Ribbon Cutting on Friday morning with special quest Governor Andy Beshear in attendance to launch the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the elderly in Western Kentucky. This is the first of three planned KY Pace centers which provide elders an option for in-home care versus nursing home care. Life Coordinated Commonwealth Pace will serve qualifying PACE members in a six-county area in Western Kentucky that includes Marshall, Calloway, Graves, Hickman, Fulton and McCracken.
Best Buy lands new health system partner
05/14/24 at 03:00 AMBest Buy lands new health system partnerBecker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 5/10/24The tech retailer said it joined forces with Bethlehem, Pa.-based St. Luke's University Health Network in the first quarter. The health system will use Best Buy's Current Health remote monitoring platform to treat post-discharge congestive heart failure patients. "We talk a lot about our big goal to enable care at home for everyone, and we're intentional about our role as the enabler," Best Buy Health said in a May 9 statement. "Partnering with providers, health plans and biopharma organizations is at the core of our strategy." Best Buy has been leaning into healthcare in recent years, acquiring Current Health in 2021 for $400 million and sending Geek Squad members into patients' homes to set up hospital-at-home technology.
Racial disparities in hospitalization outcomes among women with metastatic breast cancer in the United States by palliative care utilization
05/13/24 at 03:00 AM60 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.
House Committee vote gives hope to extending telehealth, hospital at home waivers
05/13/24 at 03:00 AMHouse Committee vote gives hope to extending telehealth, hospital at home waivers Health Leaders; by Eric Wicklund; 5/9/24 The House Ways and Means Committee has voted to advance the Preserving Telehealth, Hospital and Ambulance Access Act (HR 8261), which would, among other things, continue pandemic-era Medicare waivers enacted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for telehealth access and coverage through 2026 and extend the CMS Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver for an additional five years, to the end of 2029.
Impact of implementing serious illness conversations across a comprehensive cancer center using an interdisciplinary approach
05/13/24 at 03:00 AMImpact of implementing serious illness conversations across a comprehensive cancer center using an interdisciplinary approach The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Karen Guo, Garrett Wasp, Maxwell Vergo, Matthew Wilson, Megan M Holthoff, Madge E Buus-Frank, James J Perry, Amelia M Cullinan; 5/10/24Objectives: (1) Increase Serious Illness Conversation (SIC) use across oncology teams via an interdisciplinary quality improvement (QI) approach and (2) assess patient reported shared decision making (SDM) experiences with clinicians engaged in SIC implementation.Results: Oncology teams screened a total of 538 patients, identified 278 eligible patients, and completed 144 SIC conversations. The teams improved the proportion of documented SIC among eligible patients from near 0% to a collective frequency of 52%.
Action is key to continue to break down barriers for equitable cancer care
05/10/24 at 03:00 AMAction is key to continue to break down barriers for equitable cancer care OncLive; by Ryan Scott; 5/8/24 Experts from the University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine and Public Health, including Catherine Zhang, MD, MPH, ... Monica Patel, MD, ... Janelle N. Sobecki, MD, ... and Loyda Braithwaite, NP ... participated in an interview with OncLive® on disparities in cancer care. In [this] interview, these experts addressed significant barriers to equitable cancer treatment and highlighted challenges for rural communities to access specialized oncologic care. Furthermore, they emphasized financial limitations affecting treatment access, specifically for marginalized groups, and the need to push for health policy changes. ...
The Check-Up: How seniors can better take care of their mental health
05/10/24 at 02:00 AMThe Check-Up: How seniors can better take care of their mental health The Keene Sentinel; by Olivia Belanger Sentinel Staff; 5/8/24 My generation talks about mental health a lot. In our late 20s, my friends and I routinely check in to see how we’re feeling, reschedule plans because we’re in a mental funk or talk about how we can help support each other when we’re not feeling mentally healthy. ... But I know that for older generations, this can be hard to come by. ... [Older] adults are more likely to experience life changes — like coping with a serious illness or losing a loved one — which can lead to feelings of grief, social isolation or loneliness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Loneliness in particular is one of the biggest threats to seniors, especially those who live in rural areas like the Monadnock Region where reliable transportation is limited. Research shows loneliness is as bad for people’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. Signs that you may need to help your mental health, NIMH says, include: ...
Improving inclusive palliative care for transgender patients
05/09/24 at 03:00 AMImproving inclusive palliative care for transgender patients Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 5/7/24... Nearly a quarter (21.3%) of 865 interdisciplinary palliative professionals indicated that they had observed some form of discriminatory care delivered to a transgender patient in a recent study published in Cambridge University Press’ journal Palliative Support Care. Furthermore, 85.3% of study participants said they witnessed disrespectful care, while inadequate and abusive care was observed by 35.9% and 10.3% of palliative teams, respectively. ... [Read more for descriptions and interventions, as discussed with Zachary Fried, licensed clinical social worker and training supervisor of Optum at Home, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group.]
Health Equity Data Definitions, Standards, and Stratification: New resource available
05/09/24 at 03:00 AMHealth Equity Data Definitions, Standards, and Stratification: New resource available Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; by CMS; May 2024Resource of health equity-related data definitions, standards, and stratification practices ... This document serves as a technical resource that can be used by organizations and entities, such as providers, states, community organizations, and others, that wish to harmonize with CMS when collecting, stratifying, and/or analyzing health equity-related data. It may also clarify differences in results that may arise when different data standards and definitions are used. This document includes suggested definitions, standards, and stratification practices for the following sociodemographic elements:
[Australia] Palliative patients can die peacefully at home with paramedic support, claims proposed framework
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMPalliative patients can die peacefully at home with paramedic support, claims proposed frameworkRiotack - Australia; by James Day; 5/6/24A proposed national framework suggests paramedics could help ease pressure on emergency departments by supporting palliative care patients who wish to die at home. Published in the leading international peer reviewed journal Palliative Medicine, the framework seeks to embed palliative care into paramedics’ core business and reduce needless transports to hospital. ... Lead author and trained paramedic Dr. Madeleine Juhrmann developed the framework in consultation with paramedics, palliative care doctors, GPs, carers with lived experience and others. The expert group – representing six countries and all the states of Australia – agreed on the framework’s 32 service changes to standardise best practice for paramedics delivering palliative care in community-based settings.Pair this with a USA article in today's newsletter, "Stranded in the ER, seniors await hospital care and suffer avoidable harm."
Keys to addressing ethical, moral distress in pediatric hospice
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMKeys to addressing ethical, moral distress in pediatric hospice Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 5/6/24 Hospices may be under-prepared to navigate the complexities in end-of-life decisions among terminally ill children, as the ethical and moral considerations related to patient autonomy are vastly different for pediatric populations compared to adults. Ethical principles of autonomy vary in pediatric populations due to a number of factors, including a child’s age, developmental stage, cognitive capacity and their spiritual background and beliefs, according to Christy Torkildson, director at the Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition of California.
Terminal cancer: What matters to patients and caregivers
05/08/24 at 03:00 AMTerminal cancer: What matters to patients and caregivers Medscape Medical News; by Megan Brooks; 5/6/24 What's most important to patients with terminal cancer and their caregivers? New research found that patients and caregivers both tend to prioritize symptom control over life extension but often preferring a balance. Patients and caregivers, however, are less aligned on decisions about cost containment, with patients more likely to prioritize cost containment. ... As patients approached the end of life, neither patients nor caregivers shifted their priorities from life extension to symptom management.
Home-based pediatric hospice and palliative care provider visits: Effects on healthcare utilization
05/07/24 at 03:00 AMHome-based pediatric hospice and palliative care provider visits: Effects on healthcare utilization The Journal of Pediatrics; by Steven M. Smith, MD; Daniel H. Grossoehme, DMin; Kate Cicozi, MD; Audrey Hiltunen, MD; Catherine Roth, MPH, CCRP; Gwendolyn Richner, BA; Stephani S. Kim, PhD, MPH; Nguyen K. Tram, PhD; Sarah Friebert, MD; May 2024 journal issue Objective: This hypothesis-generating study sought to assess the impact of home-based hospice and palliative care (HBHPC) provider home visits (HV) on healthcare use. Conclusion: HBHPC provider HVs were associated with fewer inpatient admissions, hospital days, and intensive care unit days, and increased clinically relevant phone calls and phone calls before emergency department visit. These findings indicate that HBHPC HV may contribute to decreased inpatient use and increased use of the HBHPC team.
Families are often unaware of benefits of palliative hospice care, says retired oncologist
05/07/24 at 03:00 AMFamilies are often unaware of benefits of palliative hospice care, says retired oncologist KSMU Ozarks Public Radio; radio segment by Linda Regan; 5/5/24 In this episode of our local program Making Democracy Work, host Linda Regan speaks with returning guest Dr. Robert Carolla, retired medical oncologist and board member for Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks. Carolla discusses palliative hospice care and says that families often sign up too late to receive all of the supportive benefits. He says “death is a part of life” and explores common misconceptions associated with hospice care.
Chesapeake Life Center offers monthly LGBTQIA+ drop-in grief support group
05/07/24 at 02:45 AMChesapeake Life Center offers monthly LGBTQIA+ drop-in grief support group Southern Maryland News Net; 5/6/24 Chesapeake Life Center will host a monthly drop-in grief support group for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. ... Grief is a hard and vulnerable time, and it is important to have safe spaces to process what we are going through. This group is intended for adult members of the LGBTQIA+ community who are grieving a past or approaching death. The group will be facilitated by a licensed queer therapist but will be loosely structured to offer an opportunity for participants to share their feelings and grieve with community.Editor's Note: Hospice & Palliative Care Today does not post upcoming, local hospice events, grief support groups, volunteer trainings, etc. However, we're posting this LGBTQIA+ grief support due to its unique need, with opportunities for replication in other hospices.