Literature Review

What's in the Black Box of a successful nurse and social worker team palliative telecare intervention (ADAPT)? (RP317)Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Lyndsay DeGroot, PhD, RN, CNE; Kevin Wells; Brianne Morgan, BSN; Michelle Upham, MSW, LICSW; David B. Bekelman, MD, MPH; 5/24Key Message: A nurse and social worker palliative telecare team provided structured symptom management, psychosocial care, and individualized medical changes to improve quality of life, depression, and anxiety for patients with COPD, HF, and ILD. Impact: A nurse and social work palliative telecare team used collaborative care to tailor recommendations to the unique needs and symptoms of each patient, thereby improving quality of life.

Home care clinicians' perspectives on Advance Care Planning for patients at risk for becoming incapacitated with no evident advance directives or surrogates Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing; by Landau, Aviv Y. PhD, MSW; Venkatram, Chinmayi BA; Song, Jiyoun PhD, AGACNP-BC, APRN; Topaz, Maxim PhD; Klitzman, Robert MD; Shang, Jingjing PhD; Stone, Patricia PhD; McDonald, Margaret MSW; Cohen, Bevin PhD; 4/24 Abstract: ... This qualitative descriptive study elicited perspectives of home health nurses and social workers regarding barriers and facilitators to creating advance care plans in home health settings, with particular attention to patients with few familial or social contacts who can serve as surrogate decision-makers. ...  Participants reported a multitude of barriers to supporting patients with advance care planning at the provider level ... Participants noted that greater socialization and connection to existing educational resources regarding the intended purpose, scope, and applicability of advance directives could benefit home care patients.

Shocked at end-of-life: An educational video for hospice workers about Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Sarah Godfrey, MD, MPH; Christine L. Chen, MD; Melanie S. Sulistio, MD; Sharika Kumar, MD; and Kelley Newcomer, MD; 2/24 Introduction: Hundreds of thousands of patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) die yearly. Though ICD shocks can be lifesaving, they can also be severely painful. One third of ICD patients are shocked in the last day of life irrespective of DNR status. Over 97% of hospice programs admit patients with ICDs, yet only 10% have deactivation policies and less than 50% of hospice patients have their ICD deactivated. ...  Conclusion: Hospice personnel have limited knowledge about ICDs, prohibiting best care of patients with these devices at EOL. A short educational video increased knowledge and may serve as a helpful tool. Improving ICD knowledge amongst hospice personnel is essential to ensuring the unique needs of hospice patients with ICDs are met.

Assessing caregiver burnout for hospice, palliative patients Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 4/30/24 Burnout is a state of complete mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. Symptoms of burnout can include depression, compassion fatigue, stress and anxiety, and apathy, both in general life and towards work tasks, according to the Mayo Clinic. To help address these issues — and to help ensure that caregiving remained sustainable — a team of researchers from the Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and the University of Pittsburgh launched a project to improve assessment of caregiver burnout.

DEA tells court that Right to Try law doesn’t supersede CSA in psilocybin case PsychedelicNewsWire; 4/30/24The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is claiming that a federal law that affords severely ill individuals the right to try investigational medications doesn’t apply to drugs classified under the Controlled Substances Act. This is in response to a lawsuit filed by a doctor in Washington state who sought permission to legally administer psilocybin as treatment for patients in end-of-life care with cancer. The agency argues that because drugs classified under Schedule I are said to have no accepted medical use, the law prevents them from being dispensed, even by professionals. 

Postpandemic, telehealth preferred in outpatient palliative care setting Rheumatology Advisor; by Lisa Kuhns, PhD; 5/1/24 Even after the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine against COVID-19 became available, patients preferred outpatient palliative care visits via video rather than in person, according to study results published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. ... The researchers ... added, “Although telehealth may be preferable for reasons beyond social distancing, this survey found that COVID-19 transmission was still a [postpandemic] concern for some patients, where telehealth can be advantageous. These concerns reflect [an] ongoing sentiment [that] patients with advanced cancer, who are often immune-compromised, have with regards to the pandemic even after widespread vaccine availability and end of COVID-19 restrictions. 

Attitudes and beliefs regarding Pain Medicine: results of a national palliative physician survey Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Daniel K Partain, Wil L Santivasi, Mihir M Kamdar, Susan M Moeschler, Jon C Tilburt, Karen M Fischer, Jacob J Strand; 4/25/24 online ahead of print Objectives: To evaluate referral rates, co-management strategies, and beliefs of palliative physicians about the value of Pain Medicine specialists in patients with serious illness. Conclusion: This study shows that Palliative Care physicians have highly positive attitudes toward Pain Medicine specialists, but referrals remain low. Facilitating professional collaboration via joint educational/clinical sessions is one possible solution to drive ongoing interprofessional care in patients with complex pain.

How Avow Hospice used triage to boost quality, reduce turnoverHospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/26/24Avow Hospice has implemented a triage system that has resulted in improved quality scores and reduced turnover. The Florida-based provider uses an acuity system that draws data from its electronic medical record (EMR) system to help stratify patients based on their most likely immediate needs. To complement these efforts, Avow also revamped its approach to night time and weekend visits, Rebecca Gatian, COO of Avow Hospice, said at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Virtual Interdisciplinary Conference. 

Retired hospice worker now a hospice volunteer Sanford Health; by Jason Anschutz; 4/25/24"It's always been in my heart," says Nicolle Aukland of Fargo, ND. ... Aukland began her professional career as a medical social worker at MeritCare before the hospital merged with Sanford Health. She then transitioned into a similar role with Hospice of the Red River Valley. She would eventually leave the health care industry, but her passion for hospice never left her. ... Now in retirement, Aukland dedicates her free time to hospice patients as a companionship volunteer at two different organizations, including Sanford Hospice House in Fargo.Editor's Note: Do you encourage your retired employees to volunteer? Or perhaps retired employees from your community's other healthcare systems? They provide you with rich experience; you can provide them with meaningful volunteering. If so, be sure to orient them to the differences between their prior professional roles and the scope of practice for your organization's volunteer roles.

Employing telehealth to ease the hospice transition for kids with cancer mHelathIntelligence, by Anuja Vaidya; 4/23/24 ... In a study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management last month, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta researchers detailed a telehealth-based intervention the hospital has employed to ease the transition to hospice for young cancer patients and their families. ... The intervention includes a series of coordinated telehealth visits during the first month of hospice enrollment for children or young adults, 29 or younger, with cancer. ... Hospice nurses participating in the pilot received a tablet equipped with mobile WiFi cellular service that they would take to the family's home, which enabled the [hospital/pediatric specialty] nurses and families to join the call. ... The most important finding of the study was that coordinated telehealth visits between the hospital, hospice, and the families during the first month of hospice enrollment were feasible and acceptable to all participants.

Viral moment: Hospice worker reunites with former mentor for touching bedside serenade FaithIt, by Kelsey Straeter; 4/23/24In Austinburg, Ohio, at the Austinburg Nursing & Rehab Center, a video capturing a deeply moving moment has gone viral, striking a chord with over half a million viewers. The footage shows hospice worker Joshua Woodard singing a heartfelt rendition of “How Great Thou Art” to his former mentor, Mary Redmond, just days before her peaceful passing. ... Decades ago, Mary Redmond was not only a cherished voice and piano teacher in her community but also a vibrant member of the local arts scene, starring in productions such as “Hello, Dolly!” and “The Music Man.” ... One of those lives was a young Joshua Woodard ... She became his first voice coach, leaving a lasting impression that endured through the years.

Hospice nurse plays instrumental role in patient’s joy Scottsdale Progress, by Lin Sue Flood; 4/20/24 You see it at every symphony performance. People so enraptured by the music — their eyes close and their fingers dance in the air. Stuart Brown is one of those people. But as illness began to limit his mobility, the 81-year-old Scottsdale man relinquished the thought of ever attending a live concert again. That’s when his Hospice of the Valley nurse secretly reached out to the Phoenix Symphony with a request to hold a small private concert in his Scottsdale home.