Literature Review

Leveraging generative AI within the ADDIE model: A transformative approach for nursing professional developmentThe Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing; by Maryann Windey, John Bruewer; 4/26This article explores how nursing professional development (NPD) practitioners can use artificial intelligence (AI) and generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) across each phase of the ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) instructional design model to drive timely, personalized, data-driven education that aligns with health care system priorities, boosts learner engagement, and improves outcomes. Integrating Gen AI within the ADDIE framework positions NPD practitioners as strategic enablers of agile, responsive education. It allows for faster, tailored content development, real-time learner adaptation and evaluation, and alignment of education with organizational performance.

Psychological intervention aimed at depression, anxiety, and advance care planning in people with advanced cancerCU Anschutz press release; by Greg Glasgow; 4/15/26People with advanced or incurable cancer, understandably, often experience heightened levels of anxiety and depression, as well as an inability to undertake advance care planning — discussing and deciding on future medical care preferences in the event that a patient is no longer able to speak for themself. “Advance care planning involves deciding who would be making those decisions, how much flexibility that person would have in making them, and what types of decisions you would prefer that person make,” says University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center member Joanna Arch, PhD. “Physicians care about advance care planning because patients can get very sick and enter the ICU, and if they haven't communicated what they want, it can create a lot of difficulties for the family and the clinicians.” Arch and fellow cancer center member Jean Kutner, MD, MSPH, along with Regina Fink, PhD, professor emeriti of internal medicine, developed an intervention to help patients with advanced cancer cope with anxiety, depression, and advance care planning. 

[Canada] Palliative care in multiple sclerosisContinuum; by Penelope Smyth, Janis M. Miyasaki; 4/26This article reviews palliative care concepts valuable to neurologists caring for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), describes the three stages of palliative principles in care delivery, and suggests triggers to refer for specialized palliative care interventions. Advances in disease-modifying therapies have extended life expectancy and reduced disability progression in patients with multiple sclerosis. However, palliative care remains underutilized in addressing persistent symptoms, care partner burden, and psychosocial challenges. Palliative care strategies in MS can be divided into three stages: early-stage palliative care needs and screening after diagnosis; midstage palliative care needs, including symptom management and quality-of-life optimization; and late-stage palliative care needs, including managing severe MS and end-of-life care. Additional foci of specialist palliative care may include end-of-life care, advance care planning, care partner support, and patient consideration of medically assisted death. 

Nursing home ratings and characteristics predict hospice use among decedents with serious illnessesJournal of the American Medical Directors Association; by Ellis C Dillon, Chae Man Lee, Wenqi Gan, Doreek Charles, Germine Soliman, Julie Robison; 4/26Approximately one-third of older Americans experience a nursing home (NH) stay within 3 months of death, but it is unclear how NH characteristics influence end-of-life care.  Short-term (vs long-term) NH stays were associated with increased odds of hospice use and short hospice use. Individuals with long-term stays had lower odds of hospice use with stays at NHs with the highest (vs lowest) CMS ratings for quality measures and staffing ... Those with short-term stays had lower odds of hospice use with stays at NHs with the highest CMS Health Inspection ratings. People with long-term stays at NHs that were part of a chain, had Alzheimer's care units, or had more beds had increased odds of hospice care. Conclusions and implications: Among Connecticut Medicaid-insured decedents with NH stays, people with long-term stays and stays in NHs with better CMS ratings had lower odds of hospice use. Assistant Editor's note: This summary article highlights an important issue and an excellent opportunity for future analysis in a broader context. Intuitively, we'd like to see highly rated NHs have higher hospice utilization. 

Interventions for bereavement-What works, what does not, and what mightJAMA Psychiatry; by Charles F. Reynolds III, Holly G. Prigerson, M. Katherine Shear, Sidney Zisook; 4/26The 2025 publication commissioned by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) of a systematic review of “Interventions to Improve Care of Bereaved Persons” provides a timely opportunity to continue—and to deepen—a conversation of great importance about the universal experience of grief and its burdens, both personal and related to public health. The report was prepared at the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center in Los Angeles; it aimed to review available evidence on screening, diagnosing, and treating children and adults with grief disorders related to bereavement. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration convened an independent subject matter advisory panel to assess the feasibility of developing standards for high-quality bereavement and grief care.  

Communication processes and priorities in Medical Aid in Dying conversations: A cross-sectional qualitative study of multidisciplinary cancer cliniciansCancer Medicine; by Meghan McDarby, Alix Youngblood, Megan Miller, William E Rosa, Haley Buller, Betty R Ferrell; 4/26Medical aid in dying (MAiD) is a practice that enables eligible individuals with a terminal, life-limiting illness to end their lives in a self-directed way. Multidisciplinary care teams play a vital role in facilitating discussions and patient decision making about MAiD in cancer care settings. Four themes were identified as communication priorities and processes critical for multidisciplinary teams when discussing MAiD with cancer patients: (1) addressing complexity of MAiD ... ; (2) thorough palliative care assessment; (3) strategies for clinicians and healthcare systems to optimize MAiD discussions; and (4) person-centered care that de-stigmatizes MAiD. Findings underscore the distinct complexity of MAiD discussions in oncology and highlight the need for tailored, person-centered approaches that go beyond standard end-of-life communication.

Social work involvement in advance care planning post US 2016 Medicare policy change: A systematic reviewBMJ Supportive & Palliative Care; by Peiyuan Zhang, Yixuan Wang, Jihyeong Jeong, Kaipeng Wang, John G Cagle; 4/26Since 2016, the US Medicare programme has reimbursed physicians and advanced practice providers for advance care planning (ACP) discussions; however, social workers-who play a critical role in ACP-remain excluded from reimbursement. Across studies, clinical social workers demonstrated strong knowledge of advance directives and reported high levels of confidence in facilitating ACP discussions. Most participants expressed positive attitudes towards ACP and viewed ACP facilitation as a core professional responsibility. Intervention studies suggested that social worker-led ACP initiatives may increase patient engagement in ACP, particularly completion of formal ACP documentation. These findings support ongoing policy discussions regarding the inclusion of social workers in ACP reimbursement frameworks.