Literature Review

A medication mistake cost a Lockport woman her life. A new grant aims to help others avoid same fateThe Buffalo News, by Scott Scanlon; 1/2/24 In a perfect health care system, patients who ended up in the hospital would start to feel better soon and go home with a recovery plan, along with any medications designed to help in that process. ... “All medications have side effects, and some are especially harmful in older adults,” UB officials said in announcing a four-year, $1.95 million grant focused on improving medication prescribing.

A Birmingham mother draws on personal tragedy to assist grieving familiesAlabama Reflection, by Ralph Chapoco; 1/2/24Ella Shakeel has been volunteering with Faith in Action Alabama for five years. In that time, she worked exclusively with victims of violent crime as they came to terms with not only the tragedy of losing a loved one, but also with dealing with the logistics of laying them to rest. The source of her empathy stems from the tragedy that she herself has endured.

Death doulas a growing trend in end-of-life careAlbany Times-Union, by Wendy Liberatore; 12/31/23SARATOGA SPRINGS — As a young woman lay dying, one of her last acts was to write several cards to each of her small children. Each held a special message to be opened on a special day – graduation, wedding, the birth of their first child. But the young mother might not have been able to do this without the inspiration of a death or end-of-life doula – a person who helps their terminal clients reach their final goals, as a way to die peacefully.

A timeline of what’s happened since Colorado’s first legal recreational marijuana sales beganThe Denver Post, by John Aguilar and Tiney Ricciardi; 12/31/23Jan. 1, 2024, marks 10 years since the state pioneered cannabis sales and regulation. It’s been 10 years since Colorado launched the first legal recreational marijuana market in the world and became a pioneer in drug reform. But when it came to the nascent industry, the first sales on Jan. 1, 2014, were more a starting block than a finish line. In the decade since legalization, Colorado has refined laws, catalyzed new ones and served as a litmus test for the rest of the country as states followed its lead. Today, cannabis is recreationally available for sale in 24 states — where more than half of Americans live.

Social determinants of health predict outcomes in hematologic cancersHematologyAdvisor, by Jonathan Goodman, MPhil; 12/27/23A systematic review published in Blood Advances suggested that several social determinants of health (SDHs) may affect survival disparities among patients with hematological conditions. Notably, insurance status, household income, education attained, and marital status all appear to affect survival likelihood in this patient population.

Solving for X at the end of lifeNext Avenue, by Thomas Kamber, PhD; 12/29/23In interviews with people who were dying, we learned they wanted to mark their final days with meaningful experiences and leave their affairs in order. It's time to reset logistics, last days and legacy.

Pediatric palliative care: Jaisyn Reese's storyPortage Life, By Center for Hospice Care; 12/22/23Indiana: Jaisyn Reese, a pediatric patient, is another example of how CHC's interdisciplinary team helps patients and their loved ones. 

They stayed in nursing after COVID. But these Wisconsin nurses will never be the same.Oshkosh Northwestern, by Natalie Eilbert; 12/28/23FOND DU LAC – Hannah Pecora moves through the fifth floor of SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac with the confidence that comes with serving as a registered nurse since 2009. ... Pecora was there when the first shock of COVID hit the staff, along with a stream of new medical guidelines. ... Then Pecora watched a patient younger than her die. This one left her reeling.

High Impact Articles - Core Roles and Responsibilities of Physicians in Hospice Care: A Statement by and for U.S. Hospice and Palliative Care Physicians.Journal of Palliative Medicine, by Ira Byock and on behalf of HPM Physicians Concerned About Hospice Care*. Physicians are integral members of hospice interdisciplinary teams (IDTs). This statement delineates the core roles and responsibilities of hospice medical directors (HMDs) and hospice physicians who are designated by the hospice program to fulfill core HMD responsibilities. In addition, we describe the basic elements of hospice programs' structure and function required for hospice physicians to fulfill their roles and responsibilities. Finally, we call attention to hospice program characteristics and circumstances of the work environment that should raise a hospice physician's concerns that hospice patients and families are at risk of receiving low-quality care.Editor Note: While this was posted in December, we wanted to include it in the inaugural edition, too.

Offering ‘emotional first aid’ to people in shock over a sudden death

Mississippi health department says some medical marijuana products are being retested for safetyMississippi Public Broadcasting; 12/28/23The Mississippi State Department of Health said Wednesday that “a large number” of medical marijuana products are on hold so they can be retested. The department first issued the hold on Dec. 21. A news release from the department said the products are being retested “to validate results related to the use of pesticides and presence of mycotoxins,” which are produced by fungi. No illnesses from the products have been reported, the department said.

Hodge PodgeKDLM-AM (Detroit Lakes, MN); 12/28/23Connie DeKrey, grief specialist for Hospice of the Red River Valley, talks about how to move on after a loss, but stressed that everyone deals with loss differently. “New Years has its own set of emotions that are prompted. For instance, families have gathered from a distance, and traveled, and there’s a real anticipation of that. But at some point everyone has to go home again and so that extra support and connection ... it can be a real letdown when everyone has to go back to their own homes. There can be some hesitancy, even dread, about beginning the new year without that loved one. But there might also be a sense of hope or expectancy of something positive.”[Editor’s Note: To listen to the 7-minute interview, click here.]

One-third of academic physicians intend to leave current institution within 2 yearsBecker's Hospital Review, by Ashleigh Hollowell, 12/18/23More than one-third of academic physicians reported that they intend to leave their current institution within the next two years, according to a cross-sectional survey of 18,719 in the role at 15 academic-affiliated health systems.