Literature Review

Investigating the role of occupational therapy in palliative care a literature review Home Healthcare Now; by Carlie Liseo, OTD, OTR/L and Daniel Martin, D.Sc., MS, OTR/L; March/April 2026 ... Three themes regarding the provision of occupational therapy (OT) services to palliative care (PC) patients were identified: engaging in meaningful activities to increase quality of life (QOL), symptom management and comfort, and supporting caregivers and client environments. OT can play a pivotal role in catering to PC clients’ needs by promoting occupational engagement, alleviating symptoms, and modifying environments. This review offers recommendations for OT service provision in palliative care, clarifying the profession’s role within multidisciplinary home healthcare teams.

[Canada] New report released advancing equity in palliative and end-of-life care ehospice | BC Centre for Palliative Care, British Columbia; by the BCCPC Project Team: Rachel Carter, Eman Hassan, Simon Anderson, Grace Hu; 2/22/26 We’re pleased to share a new publication from the BC Centre for Palliative Care. This report distills key insights from a three-part Knowledge Exchange Series held in Spring 2025 that brought together people with lived experience, community organizations, clinicians, researchers, and system leaders across British Columbia. This Knowledge Exchange Series explored how health system services and community supports can work together to better meet the needs of underserved populations—highlighting both persistent gaps and promising paths forward. The report is supplemented with 12 population-specific chapters. [Read the full report]

Responsive emergency assessment and community team: an acute palliative medicine virtual ward with emergency department in-reach BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care; by Emily Holdsworth and Clare Rayment; 3/2/26 Objectives: More than 50% of people who die in England and Wales use an ambulance at least once in their last 3 months of life, and around 50% attend the emergency department (ED). In Bradford, an estimated 1000 patients a year are not recognised as being within the last year of life and do not access palliative care services. ... Methods: We created the Responsive Emergency Assessment and Community Team (REACT), comprised of both ED palliative medicine in-reach and a community virtual ward. The virtual ward accepts patients as ‘step-down’ from the hospital and ‘step-up’ from primary care to avoid hospital admissions through intensive holistic support.

Navigating end-of-life decisions with Islamic ethics WisconsinMuslimJournal.org; by Sandra Whitehead; 2/20/26 Medical College of Wisconsin Professor Aasim I. Padela, M.D., founder and president of the Initiative on Islam and Medicine, discussed Islamic bioethics during a January workshop on end-of-life decisions at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. ... About 50 people attended the four-hour workshop, Islamic Bioethics & End-of-Life Healthcare Decisions, held Jan. 31 at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. It featured experts with backgrounds in medicine, palliative care, hospice and Islam. Speakers made presentations and led discussions about practical steps, resources and strategies to help Muslims “transition from a state of uncertainty about end-of-life healthcare to thoughtful preparation for it,” a workbook given to participants stated.

Farmington man accused of stabbing two women released to hospice after rapid health decline 40/29 News Sunrise, Rogers, AR; by Adam Roberts; 2/25/26 A 74-year-old Farmington man accused of stabbing two women is being sent from jail to hospice care, according to court documents. James Edward Gore was arrested after police say he used scissors and a knife to stab two women on Feb. 9. ... A court filing by Gore’s attorney stated that surgeons had removed a tumor the size of a tennis ball, that he has progressive dementia, and cognitive decline. The filing claimed that when they tried to speak with him in jail, he couldn’t communicate with them and didn’t comprehend what was happening. Gore’s attorney asked the court to reduce the bond and allow him to be released to hospice. ... Gore will be sent to a hospice facility in Springdale with staff who have experience with people in Gore’s position.

A qualitative study with patients, care-partners, clinicians, and bioethicists to identify ethical considerations of artificial intelligence tools in palliative carePalliative Medicine; by John Y. Rhee, Paul Miller, Zachary Tentor, Amanda Reich, Alexi A. Wright, Charlotta Lindvall; 1/26The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine has surged. Given the sensitive nature of palliative care, it is crucial to apply AI tools in a patient-centered and ethical manner. From the interviews we extracted five main themes: (1) Primacy of the doctor-patient relationship over AI performance; (2) Humans have intuition and nuance that AI lacks; (3) Agreement about the importance of oversight of AI tools; (4) New AI technologies should include a process for patient education; and (5) AI increases efficiency, scalability, and a more unified approach to serious illness. When building and implementing AI-based tools, we recommend: establishing oversight committees; reflecting on the unique contributions of humans to care; proactively educating patients and contextualizing the tools; and ensuring data use is restricted to clinical care.

[Colombia] Early palliative care integration in end-stage liver disease: A narrative review of clinical strategies for symptom control and quality of lifeJournal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy; by Daniela Sarria-Gómez, Cristhian Camilo Martínez Torres, Diana Estrada-Bermúdez, Liliana Saavedra; 1/26End-stage liver disease (ESLD) is associated with a high symptom burden, poor prognosis, and limited access to curative disease. Despite growing evidence supporting the role of palliative care (PC), its integration into the routine management of ESLD remains limited and inconsistent. Key barriers to PC implementation include misconceptions about its use being limited to terminal phases, lack of referral criteria, and insufficient coordination between specialties. Evidence shows that early PC involvement improves symptom control (pain, dyspnea, pruritus, encephalopathy), decreases avoidable hospitalizations, and facilitates shared decision-making.

[United Kingdom] When a children’s hospice closes – national questions and lessons from Richard House by Peter Ellis ehospice; by Peter Ellis; 2/25/26 The closure of Richard House Children’s Hospice in December 2025 represents more than the loss of a single organisation. It signals a moment of reckoning for the children’s hospice movement in the United Kingdom. Richard House served families in East London for 25 years.  East London has a hugely diverse population with some 104 languages and dialects spoken. It has a substantially higher number of children with life limited or threatened lives than any other part of the country. So, Richard House was uniquely placed in the right part of the country. Failing as it has means there are serious questions to be asked.

New nonprofit helps Summit families facing terminal illnesses Summit Daily; by Summit Daily Staff; 2/24/26 The newly launched nonprofit Lean on Us aims to provide support services for individuals and families in Summit County dealing with terminal illness. A news release from the nonprofit stated it will provide physical, social, emotional and financial support, complementing the work of existing nonprofits, healthcare providers and caregivers in the county. Lean on Us’ nonmedical assistance will include companionship, caregiver respite, transportation, meal support, emergency financial assistance, accommodations, resource coordination and help with day-to-day tasks.

Palliative care and quality outcomes in patients with brain metastases and poor prognosis: A multi-institutional analysis JCO Oncology Practice - An American Society of Clinical Oncology Journal; by Rohit Singh, MD, Camilo E. Fadul, MD, Emily Kopp, MS, Guneet Sarai, MD, Roger Anderson, PhD, Ryan F. Amidon, MD, Samantha Schuetz, MD, Amy Chang, MD, Ausia N. Iqbal, MD, Joseph A. Bovi, MD, and Alissa A. Thomas, MD; 2/23/26 Purpose: To analyze the patterns of palliative care (PC) consultation for patients with brain metastases (BMETs) and its association with treatment, overall survival (OS), and quality metrics (eg, advance directives [ADs], hospice enrollment). Conclusion: The involvement of PC services correlated with higher completion rates of ADs and increased hospice utilization, without compromising survival or significantly altering other treatment options. There is an unmet need for PC among patients with BMETs with poor prognosis.

Co-designing a framework to communicate patient-centred outcomes in palliative care: involving patients and the public to reframe understanding Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes; by Mevhibe B Hocaoglu, Adejoke Oluyase, Deb Smith, Rashmi Kumar, Sarah Perman, Matthew Maddocks, Sian Best, Chloe Nast, Sabrina Bajwah, Katherine E Sleeman, Irene J Higginson; 2/21/26 online ahead of print Conclusions: This study found that communication of patient-centred outcomes and Patient-Reported outcome (PRO) evidence can be strengthened through meaningful patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE). This approach helps to reframe public understanding of palliative care, highlighting its broader relevance beyond end-of-life settings. While developed in the context of palliative care, the framework offers transferable strategies for communicating complex outcomes in other often misunderstood or stigmatised areas, such as mental health and dementia care.

The effect of race on patterns of care and utilization of palliative interventions in patients with lung cancer Holistic Integrative Oncology; by Calvin Walker, Jr., Zeytun Guyo, Davin Means, Martlin Emeasoba, Samantha  Robinson, Mohammod Mahmudur Rahman, Kingsley Nnawuba & Hanna Jensen; 2/6/26 ... Results: Altogether 2,048 (1,660 white and 388 black) patients were included in the study with other races excluded due to low sample sizes. Black patients were younger, more male, had higher rates of current tobacco use, and utilized Medicaid more often than their white counterparts. Black patients also had more comorbidities while having less family history of cancer, were diagnosed with more advanced stages of cancer, and had more active cancer status in follow-up. ...