Literature Review

Cancer support camps and the measurement of quality of life among children of parents with cancerSupportive Care in Cancer; by Mia K. Price, Marcelo M. Sleiman Jr., Muriel R. Statman, Duye Liu, Rachel Adams, Matthew G. Biel, Alexandra L. Baldwin, Joseph M. Stilwell, Kenneth P. Tercyak; 1/26Children of parents with cancer face elevated risks of anxiety, depression, and impaired social-emotional functioning. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the Kids’ Experience of Summer Enrichment Measure (KESEM), a parent-report tool assessing psychosocial well-being among children attending a cancer support camp due to a parent’s cancer [and] ... the majority of parents (78%) strongly agreed that camp was favorably impactful and would recommend it to others.

GOComm: A team-based communication intervention to improve clinicians' skills and distress tolerance in family meetingsJournal of Hospital Medicine; by Kimberly Bloom-Feshbach, Evgenia Litrivis, Elizabeth Brondolo, Alexandra Spinelli, Thomas Bozzo, Melissa Patterson, Robert Crupi, Cynthia X Pan; 1/26Medical training often omits systematic approaches to prognostication and goals of care (GOC) communication, leading to end-of-life (EOL) hospital care misaligned with patients' values, lower clinician self-efficacy, and greater clinician distress. We developed and implemented GOComm, a 4-h serious illness communication training program across eight campuses of a large health system.  Clinicians had statistically significant gains in GOC knowledge, self-efficacy, and distress tolerance. GOComm had high clinician acceptability: 96.2% indicated they would recommend GOComm to a colleague, and 83.2% credited it with changing how they will manage patients.

Connected care for older adults: A pilot intervention engaging community health workers to advance age-friendly care in rural OregonJournal of the American Geriatrics Society; by Bryanna De Lima, Lindsay Miller, Elizabeth Foster, Jodi Ready, Elizabeth Eckstrom; 1/26Aging in a rural setting presents unique challenges including limited access to in-home care, lack of social support, language and cultural barriers, and the lack of transportation. We conducted a pilot study embedding community health workers (CHWs) into rural primary care teams to assist with implementation of the 4Ms of the Age-Friendly Health System: What Matters, Mentation, Medication, and Mobility. The program made a positive difference for 95% of responding patients (n = 120) and 100% of responding providers (n = 19) were "very satisfied" with the program. Clinicians cited the CHWs' ability to support resource connections, address social isolation and social needs, provide regular check-ins, and help to get patients and families engaged in care as positive components of the model.

[UK] Parental experiences of perinatal loss, with a focus on hospice provision: A thematic analysisPalliative & Supportive Care; Rhiannon Latham, Katrina Williams, Keeley Guest, Fauzia Paize, Robyn Lotto; 1/26Perinatal palliative care (PPC) offers holistic support to families of babies with life-limiting conditions, addressing emotional, psychological, and practical needs alongside ensuring dignity for the baby. Five key themes were identified [in this study]: the significance of language used by healthcare professionals when discussing the baby's condition; the importance of timely introduction to hospice care; recognition that grief is a personal and evolving process; the role of shared experiences in building relationships; and the importance of creating lasting memories. Findings highlight the importance of improving healthcare professionals' communication skills and integrating multidisciplinary palliative care services early in the care pathway. Parents expressed gratitude for the hospice support, particularly the opportunity to spend quality time with their baby and make lasting memories.

[Japan] Effectiveness of music therapy combining life review and songwriting in patients with terminal cancer: A pilot study based on a mixed methods investigationBMC Palliative Care; by Nanami Nakaya, Ami Yamasato, Mayu Kondo, Shigeki Okino, Makoto Tokuhara, Banri Tsuda, Tetsuji Iida, Osamu Matsui, Koji Hino, Kenji Yamamoto; 1/26Spiritual well-being is a key protective factor against psychological distress in individuals receiving terminal cancer care, and several approaches have been proposed to enhance this aspect of care. In this study, we developed and evaluated the effectiveness of a novel intervention combining life review (a method known to improve spiritual well-being) with songwriting, a form of music therapy. Qualitative analysis of participants’ feedback yielded 77 codes, which were integrated into four major categories: (1) Positive feelings toward researchers or the music, (2) Recalling the past and realizing it was a good life, (3) Hope for the future, and (4) Sharing with others. The intervention significantly improved spiritual well-being, depression, and anxiety in individuals with terminal cancer.

Effect of antipsychotic medication use and type on mortality and cardiovascular risks in nursing home patients with dementiaAlzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring; by Hamid R. Okhravi, Fang Fang, Melissa P. Hunter, Brynn E. Sheehan; 1/26Antipsychotic medication (APM) use in nursing home (NH) patients with dementia is common but carries risks. APM use in NH dementia patients is linked to higher death risk. First‐generation APMs showed higher mortality risk than second‐generation APMs. Overall, APM use is associated with increased stroke risk. No association was found between APM use and MI risk overall.

Artificial intelligence-powered predictive tools to improve end-of-life decision-making: mini-review British Medical Journal (BMJ) Supportive & Palliative Care; by Abdullah Alabbasi, Muhanad Alzahrani, Faris Sultan and Mohammed Sayes; 2/18/26 Results: ... Preliminary qualitative work indicates that AI-generated summaries may assist communication among healthcare teams, though concerns persist regarding transparency, bias and over-reliance on algorithms. Conclusions: AI-driven prognostic models show promise in improving risk identification and facilitating earlier engagement with palliative care. Nonetheless, the current evidence base is preliminary. Future research should include prospective trials and strengthened ethical frameworks to ensure that the integration of AI-based prognostic tools into end-of-life decision-making is both safe and equitable. 

Geographic and sociodemographic disparities in access to hospice in Pennsylvania American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Jacob Whitman, PhD, Dylan Nagy, MS, Harsheni Sudakar, BSPH, Coleman Drake, PhD, Lindsay Sabik, PhD, and Yael Schenker; 2/14/26 online ahead of print Results: In total, 2.3 million Pennsylvanians, or 17% of the state population, reside in census tracts classified as cold spots. Cold spots were concentrated in rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged regions. Compared with other tracts, cold spot tracts were lower income, less educated, older, more reliant on public insurance, and less racially diverse. Patterns were consistent when restricting to high quality hospice and nonprofit hospices. Conclusion: Geographic disparities in hospice access compound existing sociodemographic inequities. Addressing these inequities will require efforts to expand high-quality hospice availability in underserved communities.

Psychosocial oncology: The Omega Project Taylor & Francis | Death Studies; by Matthew Loscalzo and Linda A. Klein; 2/14/26This article reports on an interview with J. William Worden that focuses initially on the Omega Project (1968–1986) that studied end-of-life care. Worden explains the four phases of the project with specific populations, goals, and key concepts that emerged. The discussion then shifts to the development of psychosocial oncology and palliative care. Finally, Worden offers some thoughts on the development of the hospice movement in the United States, the role of religion in coping with mortality, coping with personal loss, and his advice to new medical or graduate students just starting out.

Assistive intelligence: A framework for AI-powered technologies across the dementia continuumJournal of Ageing & Longevity; by Bijoyaa Mohapatra, Reza Ghaiumy Anaraky; 1/26While traditional [dementia] care models often focus on symptom management in later stages, emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies offer new opportunities for proactive and personalized support across the dementia trajectory. This concept paper presents the Assistive Intelligence framework, which aligns AI-powered interventions with each stage of dementia: preclinical, mild, moderate, and severe. These are mapped across four core domains: cognition, mental health, physical health and independence, and caregiver support. We illustrate how AI applications, including generative AI, natural language processing, and sensor-based monitoring, can enable early detection, cognitive stimulation, emotional support, safe daily functioning, and reduced caregiver burden. The paper also addresses critical implementation considerations such as interoperability, usability, and scalability, and examines ethical challenges related to privacy, fairness, and explainability.

Sociodemographic disparities and impact of palliative care utilization during end-of-life hospitalizations in patients with gastric cancerJournal of Palliative Medicine; by James Lee, Jasmine Lee, Rahul Tripathi, David Stein, Ballakur Rao, Daniel Jamorabo, Lisa Fisher; 1/26Gastric cancer is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage and is associated with high symptom burden. Among 13,435 weighted hospitalizations [among gastric cancer patients who died during hospitalization] ..., 57.6% received palliative care. Black patients had 32% lower odds of receiving palliative care than White patients ... Higher palliative care use was associated with greater income, large hospitals, urban teaching hospitals, and private/other insurance. In adjusted analyses, palliative care was linked to a $36,240 reduction in hospital charges ..., with no significant difference in LOS [length of stay]. Palliative care was associated with higher odds of DNR status ... and lower odds of CPR, mechanical ventilation, transfusion, and vasopressor use.

Presence experiences after loss: Prevalence and relational meaning in a diverse urban sampleOmega; Claire White, Anna Mathiassen, Ronald Fischer; 1/26Presence experiences-the sense that a significant person who has died is nearby or perceptible-are common after bereavement but remain underexamined in grief research. This study ... [revealed that] ... over two-thirds of participants reported having ever experienced a presence, with nearly half reporting at least one occurrence in the past two weeks. These experiences were most commonly reported as a general feeling of presence, rated as both significant and welcome. Participants frequently interpreted encounters as meaningful attempts at contact and preferred disclosing these experiences to close social connections rather than institutional figures. These findings highlight presence experiences as common, relationally shaped, and culturally interpreted aspects of bereavement.

Palliative external beam radiation therapy for dysphagia in a 101-year-old man with esophageal adenocarcinomaCureus; by Pericles J. Ioannides, Jester M. Odrunia, Gina N. Perez, Morgan Butow, Georg A. Weidlich; 1/26Esophageal adenocarcinoma in centenarians is rare, and treatment options in this age group are limited. We present the case of a 101-year-old male patient with symptomatic distal gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma who presented with progressive dysphagia, aspiration, and weight loss. The patient underwent palliative external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) ... targeting the obstructive esophageal mass with a margin using volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique. The treatment was well tolerated by the patient with no significant acute toxicity. After treatment, the patient reported clinically meaningful improvement in functional status, with improved swallowing, advancing from liquids to a soft diet, weight gain, and improved QoL. Moderate-dose palliative radiation can be a safe and effective treatment in a centenarian with obstructive GEJ adenocarcinoma, particularly when endoscopic interventions are not successful or durable.