Literature Review

The dark side of full patient autonomy Medscape; by Lisa O'Mary; 9/14/26 Paternalism is out. Shared decision-making is in. But some communication and ethics experts say medicine is veering far too much toward full patient autonomy. A new review in the journal Health Communication found that clear delivery, active listening, and empathy were associated with patient trust. Obvious? Probably. But here’s the twist: The authors also found that paternalistic styles didn’t always harm trust — and even aided shared decision-making in some situations, particularly in contexts such as emergency care, serious illness, and end-of-life decisions.

Free webinar for physicians and healthcare professionals: Reducing hospital readmissions and reducing Hospital Readmissions and Length of stay in advanced illness patients VITAS Healthcare; Press Release; 9/14/26

PHarmacist avoidance or reductions in medical costs in PALLiative care inpatient services: PHARM-PALLJournal of Palliative Medicine; by Celena Wilson, Jennifer Ku; 8/26Inpatient palliative care (PC) pharmacists have been shown to improve clinical and team outcomes. To quantify the cost avoidance (CA) associated with a full-time inpatient PC pharmacist based on clinical interventions. Conclusions: A PC pharmacist may help avoid significant health care costs, particularly in the areas of deprescribing, identifying untreated indications, and using PC expertise to make therapeutic recommendations.

Narrative review of the US specialty palliative nursing workforce 2025: Measurement for now and the futureJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; by Susan Lysaght Hurley, Morgan E Murphy, Marian Grant, Caitlin Brennan, Joanne Reifsnyder, Joan G Carpenter; 8/26A robust, expertly trained nursing workforce is needed to care for over 13 million people living with serious illness in the United States (US). Workforce data remain limited due to the diversity of nursing roles in hospice and palliative care. No comprehensive estimate exists for the broader palliative nursing workforce; however, a 2024 national survey estimated 56,619 registered nurses working in hospice. Palliative nursing education was not formally integrated into US nursing curricula until 2021 with the AACN publication of The Essentials, and only 12 healthcare organizations offer specialty nurse residency or fellowship programs. The National Board for Certification of Hospice Nurses was established in 1992 in the US and awarded the first certification to registered nurses in 1994; in 2025 nearly 12,000 nurses are certified.

How compassion and research build palliative care for the precision oncology era OncLive; by Ross Camidge, MD, PhD and Laura A. Petrillo, MD; 9/9/26 Drs. Camidge and Petrillo discuss Dr. Petrillo's evolution from a science-curious student to a leader in palliative care research. How This Is Building Me, hosted by world-renowned oncologist D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, is a podcast focused on the highs and lows, ups and downs of all those involved with cancer, cancer medicine, and cancer science across the full spectrum of life's experiences. In this episode, Dr Camidge sat down with Laura A. Petrillo, MD, a palliative care physician-investigator in the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

When the end of life feels like a beginning: a hospice encounter raises questions medicine can't answerBroadview; by Ralph Klose; 9/8/26 As a retired neuropsychologist and longtime hospice companion, I often wonder what can still be measured at the end of life — and what cannot. ... Magda had lived in the hospice for three months. A former violinist, she rarely spoke about her past. But her hands still moved in gentle arcs, as if drawing invisible phrases from the air. ... One afternoon, I entered her room and paused. The air felt different — not cold, not scented, but bright. The blinds were closed. No sunlight entered. And still, the space around her shimmered faintly, like a curtain of breath. Her skin looked translucent. Her lips moved, but no sound came. Later, as I sat quietly at her bedside, a nurse whispered, “She’s speaking with someone.” There was no theology in her gestures. No visions of angels. But something had changed — as if a second world had unfolded beside the first, not replacing it, but resting gently alongside. ...

Hospice care has increased in Minnesota, but some nurses are set to strike MINNPOST; by Maddie Robinson; 9/4/26 Allina Health hospice nurses are demanding better pay and more manageable caseloads as demand for care has grown statewide. After more than a year of contract negotiations and on the heels of a one-day strike in early July, Allina Health hospice nurses are set to strike for one week starting September 11 after union members said the hospital did not adequately address employee concerns about raises, staffing and caseloads. More than 60 Allina nurses in the SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa union voted unanimously to authorize the strike August 21. After additional contract negotiations with a federal mediator a week later did not pan out for either party, the union announced on August 31 their 10-day notice to strike, during which time contract negotiations will continue. 

Medicine on screen: 10 films doctors may want to rewatch Medscape; by Medscape's editorial team; 8/24/26 Cinema has long portrayed medicine through many different lenses: from the perspectives of doctors and patients to those of friends and family, whether set in hospital wards or research laboratories. This curated selection of classic and contemporary films explores care, illness, and hospital life from strikingly different angles — some realistic, some visionary, and others deeply unsettling. Together, they aim to refocus attention on medicine not only as a science, but as a profoundly human experience. 10 Films Every Doctor Should (Re)Watch:

Evasiveness in everyday hospital palliative care practice: a focused ethnography Journal of Clinical Nursing; by Carolien van Leussen, Evelien Kuip, Renske Kruizinga, Els van Wijngaarden; 9/2/26 Conclusion: This study shows how evasiveness in hospital-based palliative care is produced and sustained through biomedical routines, organizational pressures and professional and personal orientations. These factors make it difficult to realize the holistic ideals of palliative care in everyday practice. As a result, patients' fears, uncertainties and end-of-life wishes often remain insufficiently explored, whereas organizational routines shape what is considered appropriate and possible in clinical interactions.

Priorities for advancing palliative care for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: a consensus report from a palliative care for ALS working group in the United States Muscle & Nerve; by Kara E. Bischoff, Yaowaree L. Leavell, Jessica M. Besbris, Christi Lero, Kelsey Noble, Astrid Grouls, Jerome Kurent, Benzi M. Kluger, Steven Z. Pantilat, Ambereen K. Mehta, on behalf of the International Neuropalliative Care Society's Palliative Care for ALS Working Group; 8/31/2026 The Palliative Care for ALS Working Group was formed within the International Neuropalliative Care Society, consisting of interprofessional ALS and palliative care clinicians, researchers, advocates, and patients and care partner representatives who are committed to improving palliative care for people living with ALS. The group engaged in a strategic planning process to determine what is needed to advance palliative care for people with ALS over the next 3–5 years. This report outlines the core recommendations from that strategic planning process. Recommendations are divided into five sections: (1) clinician education, (2) clinical service expansion, (3) research, (4) public awareness, and (5) policy change. Editor's Note: ALS is an especially devastating, demanding disease for patients, caregivers and families, for your clinical staff and volunteers. What disease-specific education and resources do you provide? How many ALS patients have your organization served in "x" years? Do you partner in any way with your regional ALS association? For non-clinical leaders, an important, easy distinction for you to remember the clinical, deeply personal differences between ALS versus ALZ: 

Top challenges for hospice nurses Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/28/26 Hospice nurses are wrestling with work-life balance, heavy caseloads and other difficulties amid widespread staffing shortages. The dearth of prospective hospice employees is well known and has existed for years. In addition to impacting provider businesses, this trend also affects nurses on the ground. This often comes in the form of a bigger workload, more travel time and the emotional toll of working with the dying, according to Skelly Wingard, CEO of By the Bay Health.

Camp gives local students a hands-on look at careers in health care MaineHealth, North Conway, NH; Press Release; 8/25/26More than 20 local middle and high school students spent a week this summer discovering that there is much more to health care than what happens in a hospital room. MaineHealth Memorial Hospital’s annual Health Camp offered in partnership with MWV School to Career Summer Program gave students an opportunity to explore a wide range of health care careers through hands-on activities, demonstrations, games and behind-the-scenes experiences throughout the hospital. Throughout the week, campers rotated through hospital departments and interactive activities, getting a firsthand look at the many skills, roles and professions that contribute to patient care.