Literature Review

Does morphine speed up death at the end of life? What we knowHealthDigest, by Jennifer Anandanayagam; 1/17/24... [Hospice care workers often hear a common concern], if giving morphine to your dying loved actually brings about their death sooner.Quotes from Elisabeth Smith, Hospice of the Chesapeake's Director of Education and Emergency Management

MV residents serve on MLK Day of GivingMega Valleys Progress, by Vernon Robison; 1/16/24

Coming to terms: Female veterans' experience of serious illnessJournal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, by Brandon M. Varilek and Mary J. Isaacson; 1/16/24Female veteran populations are growing internationally and are more likely than men to develop certain serious illnesses, including some cancers. ... This study reports the qualitative findings from a multimethod study using qualitative inquiry to explore female veterans' experiences of living with a serious illness. 

Despite Increased Awareness, Gender Bias Persists Across HealthcareForbes, by Amy Shoenthal; 1/12/24When a 50-year-old woman attorney noticed some chest pressure and had trouble maintaining endurance during regular exercise, she initially sought counsel from two doctors: her internist and her gynecologist. Both reassured her that she was experiencing perimenopausal symptoms along with the stress of a high-powered job. Her intuition suggested otherwise. Going up stairs was leaving her winded. So she searched for a third opinion ... It’s no secret that women’s symptoms are frequently dismissed or their ailments misdiagnosed by reputable medical professionals.

Federal scientists conclude there is credible evidence for certain medical uses of marijuanaPolitico, by Natalie Fertig; 1/12/24The Department of Health and Human Services concluded that marijuana is less harmful than other dangerous drugs and that there is some evidence of its medical benefits in recommending loosening federal restrictions on the drug. For the last 60-plus years, cannabis has been classified as a Schedule I drug — the same as heroin — under the Controlled Substances Act, which means it’s a substance of high abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Bloomberg first reported in August that HHS had recommended marijuana be moved to Schedule III, and the release of these documents on Friday confirms that.Publisher note: The full FDA report can be found here.

Handbook of Social Justice in Loss and Grief, in Routledge's Series in Death, Dying and BereavementRoutledge, Series in Death, Dying and Bereavement, edited by Darcy L. Harris and Tashel C. Bordere; pub. 2016, available The Handbook of Social Justice in Loss and Grief is a scholarly work of social criticism, richly grounded in personal experience, evocative case studies, and current multicultural and sociocultural theories and research ...  at the very junctures when people are most vulnerable—at points of serious illness, confrontation with end-of-life decision making, and in the throes of grief and bereavement. Harris and Bordere give the reader an active and engaged take on the field, enticing readers to interrogate their own assumptions and practices while increasing, chapter after chapter, their cultural literacy regarding important groups and contexts.Editor's Note: Are you eager to take a deep dive into Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in our worlds of loss and grief? Immerse yourself in this definitive, thanatological (the study of dying, death, and bereavement) research and its applications for you.

We were here: Black infant loss in D.C. - A three part series on black infant mortality in the Dsitistrict. Who's at risk and why?Washington CityPaper, by Candace Y. Montague; 12/23Between 2014 and 2020, more than 330 Black infants died in D.C. before their first birthdays. Recent perinatal reports show this problem isn’t going away anytime soon. Washington City Paper is taking a closer look at why this crisis hits the Black community in D.C. so hard, how it affects families and clinicians, and who is working to prevent infant loss. This series is being produced as a project for the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s 2023 National Fellowship.

Videos help increase communication of care goals for hospitalized older adultsNational Institute on Aging; 1/11/24A video intervention delivered to older hospital patients by palliative care educators helped increase communication and documentation of care preferences. These findings, published in JAMA Network Open, are from a study led by NIA-funded Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital researchers.

Courageous Parents Network: Decade of helping parents cope with grief and lossFig City News, by Julie M. Cohen; 1/9/24“The reason grief can be so hard is because it can feel so isolating,” Julia Ong reflected while discussing the 2021 death of her younger child, Avery. Even before their daughter died, the Newton resident and her husband, Jordan Bray, experienced the crushing weight of grief upon learning the baby’s diagnosis. They soon learned about a Newton-based nonprofit, the Courageous Parents Network (CPN). The organization, which in 2024 is marking its 10th anniversary, “orients and empowers parents and others caring for children with serious medical conditions, by providing resources and tools that reflect the experience and perspective of other families and clinicians,” according to its website ...

Humana wins $360M in Walgreens drug price settlementModern Healthcare, by Lauren Berryman; 1/8/24Walgreens will pay Humana $360 million to resolve allegations the pharmacy chain overcharged the health insurer for prescription drugs.

Upcoming e-prescribing regs could give relief to hospice, palliative care providers, advocates sayMcKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 1/5/24Proposed rules, if finalized, could make it easier for providers to prescribe controlled substances via telemedicine. The Drug Enforcement Administration is expected to develop a “special registry” for certain controlled substances that could be prescribed without an in-person visit, according to Katy Barnett, director of home care and hospice operations and policy at LeadingAge. Certain substances were already granted similar prescription flexibilities during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE); a new registry would subject these substances to oversight by the DEA.

Wings of togetherness: National nonprofit providing flights for families of New Braunfels Hope Hospice veterans

A not-so-silent battle: Tackling nurse burnout with innovative solutionsElectronic Health Reporter, by Brandy Sparkman-Beierle; 1/2/24... "The intersection of rising patient volumes and staffing challenges has led to a significant drop in nursing satisfaction rates. This overextension puts healthcare professionals at risk of burnout, impacting their physical and mental well-being." Brandy Sparkman-Beierle, chief clinical officer for Homecare Homebase identifies these needs: