Literature Review

Patients with terminal blood cancer stress need for transfusion access in hospice care, survey findsHematology Advisor; by Joantahn Goodman, MPhil; 1/28/26  Patients with blood cancer eligible for hospice care emphasize the importance of access to transfusion over other services, according to research published in JAMA Network Open. The survey-based study confirms that, among patients with an estimated life expectancy of 6 months or less, routine hospice services are perceived of less value than transfusion access — suggesting that palliative transfusion availability should be incorporated into hospice care universally, the authors noted in their report.

Defining palliative care quality in a tight reimbursement environment Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 1/27/26 Palliative care delivery is undergoing an evolutionary period of change. These services are offered in several different ways across the country, which brings both benefits and challenges when it comes to defining quality in the space. Today’s palliative care providers are shaping the outlook of the field, but through diversified approaches, according to Brynn Bowman, CEO of Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). The field is reaching a pivotal stage when it comes to supply and demand or resources, an issue that greater standardization could help to address, she indicated. 

Remembering the Holocaust with little-known story about a Jewish refugee and Cicely Saunders: Honoring the International Holocaust Remembrance Day - 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

How does palliative care work under Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation Law? WorkersCompensation.com; 1/25/26 What does it take for an injured worker in Rhode Island to receive palliative care? State regulations spell out the steps ... "Palliative care" means the first 12 visits for medical services provided by a physician licensed by the State after maximum medical improvement has been attained. ... Additional palliative care beyond the 12 visits after the employee reaches maximum medical improvement, is conditioned on the authorization of the claim administrator (insurer, self-insured employer, third party administrator) upon the request of the employee’s treating physician (Medical Provider).

Participants praise palliative care program for the homeless Medscape; by Kate Johnson; 1/26/26 Patient perspectives about a palliative care outreach intervention for adults experiencing homelessness are overwhelmingly positive, according to a qualitative, descriptive study of the Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless (PEACH) program in Toronto. “While previous research suggests persons experiencing homelessness emphasize symptom management needs at the end of life, our findings also underscored unmet primary care, medical supply, and psychiatric needs,” wrote lead author Alexander R. Levesque, MD, of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, and coauthors. 

Palliative care in pediatric phase I oncology trials: A scoping reviewPediatric Blood & Cancer; by Andrea Cuviello, Harisankeerth Mummareddy, Alanis N. Gomez Martinez, Holly Spraker-Perlman, Allison Uber, Jordan Wrigley, Erica C. Kaye; 12/25Clinical trials, particularly Phase I trials that test drug safety and feasibility, are imperative to advance outcomes for children with cancer. These trials, however, pose risks for increased symptom burden and suffering. Early integration of palliative care (PC) during Phase I trial enrollment offers a potential reduction in suffering and improvement in quality of life.  PC integration was associated with earlier hospice enrollment, increased home and hospice deaths, decreased hospitalizations and intensive care unit utilization, improved care coordination, and better symptom management. 

Integrating compassion and policy: Highlights from IAHPC Advocacy, 2025Palliative Medicine in Practice: by Katherine Irene PettusIn 2025, the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) advanced advocacy for palliative care as an ethical, clinical, and human rights imperative. As a non-state actor in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), the association worked across policy, faith, and professional domains to integrate palliative care into universal health coverage frameworks. This report summarizes IAHPC’s global activities from February to November 2025, including engagement at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA), collaboration with WHO and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the launch of the Leadership and Advocacy Development (LEAD2) program, and new interfaith and educational initiatives.Assistant Editor's note: As I peruse peer reviewed journals to bring you relevant and current summaries of research, I am amazed at the large number of articles published now about palliative care. It wasn't this way just a few years ago. As a long-time hospice and palliative care nurse, I am delighted to see the ground swell of interest in the principles, the need, the value, and the effectiveness of palliative care. I feel like 'We Have Arrived' (finally!). Kudos to all of you who have worked tirelessly over many years to educate professionals and the public at large, about palliative care and its virtues. I know we are not done; there is more to do. But we've come a long way baby!

Patients' perceptions of autonomy in palliative care: Two patient interview exemplars Palliative Care and Social Practice; by Kristen Tulloch, Julia Acordi Steffen, John P Rosenberg; 1/19/26 Results: Four themes were identified: (a) my involvement in healthcare decisions, (b) change to my autonomy during illness progression, (c) self-assessing my abilities to exercise autonomy and (d) my coping mechanisms for loss of autonomy. Palliative care patients perceived and managed their autonomy amidst their illnesses, revealing a sense of loss of autonomy extending beyond healthcare into many daily activities. Participants wished to exercise autonomy in nuanced ways, varying in intensity across many aspects of their lives, underscoring the importance of recognising and respecting individuals' wishes for autonomy.Editor's Note: The authors’ focus on coping with loss of autonomy is essential. As illness progresses, autonomy can erode not only in medical decisions but across daily life, identity, and meaning—losses that are too often overlooked in clinical care. The frequently misapplied “Five Stages of Grief” can further blur this reality, reducing complex, personal experiences to linear expectations not supported by contemporary grief research. Understanding how patients adapt to loss of autonomy is foundational to truly person-centered palliative care.

Advance care planning in patients nearing the end of life: A pre-intervention study of racial disparities and provider factors Journal of General Internal Medicine | Springer; by Vedha Penmetcha BA, Mia Marcotte BA, Yashaswani Chauhan MD, Malathi Srinivasan MD, Adrian M. Bacong PhD, Amelia Sattler MD; 1/19/26 The pre-intervention study of Advance Care Planning (ACP) in patients nearing the end of life highlighted significant racial disparities and the impact of provider factors on ACP documentation. The study found that Asian patients were least likely to have ACP documentation in their charts, and minorities who had ACP conversations were less likely to have documentation. This suggests that ACP conversations are often not documented in the electronic health records of these patients, indicating a need for targeted interventions to improve ACP documentation rates. The study also revealed that providers may struggle to identify who and when to engage in ACP conversations, which can be a barrier to effective ACP.

Tuesday Health and Buckeye Health Plan partner to bring palliative care for Ohioans with serious  illness PR Newswire, Columbus, OH; by Tuesday Health; 1/20/26 Tuesday Health and Buckeye Health Plan, a company of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), today announced a new partnership to bring expanded palliative care to Ohioans living with serious illness. The program, launched on January 1, 2026, is designed to help members and their caregivers manage complex health needs, reduce avoidable hospital visits, and receive compassionate care in person and virtually. Through this collaboration, eligible Buckeye members will gain access to Tuesday Health's interdisciplinary care team, including nurses, social workers, nurse practitioners and physicians. 

Racial and ethnic differences in early DNAR orders after in-hospital cardiac arrest Physician's Weekly; by Shanel Diviney-Brown; 1/16/26 In a comprehensive national cohort study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers examined how race and ethnicity relate to the timing of Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) orders among adults experiencing in-hospital cardiac arrest. The findings highlight emerging inequities in end-of-life decision patterns that may inform clinical practice and shared decision-making in critical care settings.

[Uganda] This hospice has a bold new mission: saving lives Alabama Public Radio / NPR; by Joanne Cavanaugh Simpson, Brian Simpson; 1/16/26 Deborah Nantenza learned about cervical cancer screening at a hospital in eastern Uganda, a rural region where early diagnosis is rare. ... The cancer screening, education and treatment were led by a hospice — an institution traditionally limited to easing the pain of the dying. The team at Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja in Uganda had long wanted to do more. Even with liquid morphine and other pain medications the hospice provided to ease symptoms, women with cervical cancer "didn't just die a normal death. They died after suffering, suffering," says Sylvia Nakami, executive director of the 20-year-old nonprofit.