Literature Review

Palliative care conversations can enhance support for patients with advanced cancer Oncology Nurse Advisor; by Megan Garlapow, PhD; 9/22/26 Palliative care and hospice address different points along the trajectory of serious illness, and clinicians can improve patient and family understanding by clearly distinguishing the 2 services and using direct, supportive language, according to a presentation at ONS Bridge 2026 by Meg Krasne, MD, MPH, clinical expert and instructor at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. ... She described palliative care as a specialized medical discipline centered on symptom management, coping, and medical decision-making. Rather than representing a transition away from active treatment, palliative care can function as an additional layer of support throughout the course of serious illness. 

CMS expands the ACCESS Model: new tracks for heart failure, COPD, substance use disorders, tobacco cessation, and extended MSK support Foley Hoag; 9/21/26 Key Takeaways:

Missed opportunities for goals-of-care conversations in a patient with end-stage juvenile Huntington’s disease: A case reportAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine; by Ignacio Borque, Nuria Perez ´ de Lucas, Alicia Gonzalez, Eduardo Bruera; 8/26Juvenile Huntington’s disease (JHD) is a rare, severe neurodegenerative disorder with early onset, high symptom burden, and a predictable trajectory toward advanced disability and premature death. Despite this, goals-of-care (GOC) conversations and advance care planning are often delayed, leading to reactive, crisis-driven decisions and increased emotional burden for families and clinicians. We present a 30-year-old woman with genetically confirmed JHD, diagnosed at age 14, who declined progressively over more than 15 years. Despite longstanding neurological follow-up and repeated hospital admissions, palliative care referral occurred only 20 days before death. Late palliative care integration limited anticipatory planning and shifted complex decisions into a stage with little room for deliberation, when cognitive and clinical deterioration constrained meaningful participation.

Top ten tips palliative care clinicians should know when caring for seriously ill patients with stimulant use disordersJournal of Palliative Medicine; by Rebekka DePew, Nicole Dussault, Kyle Quirk, Erin Vipler, Josh Borris, Sandra DiScala, Teddy Scheel, Katrina Nickels, Gregg Robbins-Welty, Janet Ho; 8/26Stimulant use disorder (StUD) is common in the hospice and palliative care (PC) setting, though guidance for clinicians remains limited. Stigma around stimulant use is widespread and can lead to impaired clinician/patient communication, poor symptom control, and lower quality of care. PC clinicians should be able to diagnose StUD, understand the potential pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic management options, engage with patients in a trauma-informed way, and refer to addiction medicine colleagues when appropriate. When utilizing opioids for pain management, PC clinicians should be aware of the impact of stimulant use on opioid risk and toxicity. In this article, a multidisciplinary group of PC, hospice, addiction medicine, psychiatry, ethics, and pharmacy clinicians presents ten practical tips for caring for seriously ill patients with current or prior StUD.

Effective palliative care for hospice transitionsJAMA Internal Medicine; by May Hua, MD, MS, Miguel Cid, MPH, Claire Barshied, PhD, Rachel C. Shelton, ScD, MPH, Grace Hu, MPH, Natasha Stekl, MPH, Carrie Brill, BS5; Elise C. Carey, MD, and R. Sean Morrison, MD; 9/14/26 Question: What factors impact the ability of palliative care teams to affect hospice use for patients with metastatic cancer?Findings: In this qualitative study across 6 sites with interviews among 93 clinicians and patients, institutions with high and low performance in hospice use exhibited substantive differences in the relationship between palliative care and oncology teams. At high-performing sites, the relationship was characterized by mutual trust and respect, warmth and familiarity, and empathy for each other, while at low-performing sites, the relationship was characterized by a lack of trust and familiarity as well as negative regard for each other.Meaning: These findings suggest that the relationship between palliative care and oncology teams is a modifiable factor that could affect care delivery and patient outcomes.

PHarmacist avoidance or reductions in medical costs in PALLiative care inpatient services: PHARM-PALLJournal of Palliative Medicine; by Celena Wilson, Jennifer Ku; 8/26Inpatient palliative care (PC) pharmacists have been shown to improve clinical and team outcomes. To quantify the cost avoidance (CA) associated with a full-time inpatient PC pharmacist based on clinical interventions. Conclusions: A PC pharmacist may help avoid significant health care costs, particularly in the areas of deprescribing, identifying untreated indications, and using PC expertise to make therapeutic recommendations.

Impact of outpatient palliative care consult triggers on end-of-life outcomes in a VA hematology/oncology clinic Medscape; by Morgan Lyttle, MD, Michelle Popadiuk, MBA, LPN, RHIT, ODS-C, Seema Limaye, MD, Alexi Vahlkamp, Shannon Carrigan, MD, and Jean Vendiola, MD; 9/4/26 ... Conclusions: Outpatient palliative care (PC) triggers successfully shifted referral origin from inpatient to outpatient, halved the rate of trigger-eligible patients not receiving PC, and maintained hospice engagement despite loss of the inpatient oncology service. Future directions include expanding triggers to other subspecialty clinics managing oncology patients.

[Portugal] International differences in the technical qualities of place of death classifications and data: A survey of researchers' perspectivesPalliative Medicine; by Mayra Delalibera, Sílvia Lopes, Inês Dias da Silva, Barbara Gomes; 9/26Place of death is a key population-level indicator for palliative care and health services planning. However, substantial international variation in how it is recorded limits cross-country comparisons and health system evaluations. This is the first study to assess place of death classifications and data from researchers' perspectives. Findings highlight critical limitations in current classification systems and provide guidance for developing an international classification aligned with UN and WHO recommendations. This will enable more meaningful cross-country comparisons and strengthen evidence to inform palliative care and health services planning worldwide.

National Alliance VP: palliative care should occur throughout continuum Hospice News; podcast hosted by Jim Parker with Katie Wehri; 9/3/26 Palliative care should be offered via home health, but not only through home health. This is according to Katie Wehri, vice president for regulatory affairs, quality and compliance at the National Alliance for Care at Home. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently clarified in a proposed rule that palliative care is available via the home health benefit. Hospice News recently sat down with Wehri on the Elevate podcast to discuss the implications of this clarification for providers, as well as other avenues CMS could consider to expand palliative care.

Dementia associated with shorter survival, fewer days at home after hip fractureHealio; by Ashlee Moore; 9/2/26Key takeaways:

Office of the Governor — Gov. Green announces $58 million federal investment to strengthen rural healthcare across Hawaiʻi The America Watch - State of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI; by Office of the Governor, Josh Green, MD; 9/1/26 Governor Josh Green today announced $58 million in federal funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to improve access to healthcare and strengthen services in rural and underserved communities across Hawaiʻi. “As a physician who has practiced in rural communities, I know that distance can determine whether someone receives care in time,” said Governor Green. “This $58 million federal investment will help us train and retain more healthcare professionals, provide new ambulances in every county and modernize emergency communications. ..."

Palliative care is about living better — not giving up Patch, Westport, CT; by Hartford HealthCare, featuring Dr. Sara Dost; 8/31/26 For many patients and families, the words palliative care can be difficult to hear. Some assume it means treatment has stopped. Others confuse it with hospice care or believe it is only appropriate during the final stages of life. But according to Dr. Sara Dost of Hartford HealthCare's Cancer Institute at St. Vincent's Medical Center, palliative care is about something much different: helping people feel better and live as fully as possible while facing a serious illness. “I like to call palliative care supportive care,” Dr. Dost said. “We help patients deal with side effects, decision-making and the challenges that can come with a serious illness. Think of us as an extra layer of support.”