Literature Review

Teaching end-of-life care: Q&A with professor of medicine Medical Xpress; by Mahima Samraik, Yale University, edited by Sadie Harley; 10/20/25 Every year, thousands of families sit in hospital rooms hearing words no one wants to hear: "We have done everything we can." What happens next, whether doctors stay engaged or step away, can transform one of life's most difficult moments for patients and their families. Unfortunately, for too many patients, the shift from curative care to end-of-life care leaves them feeling stranded. ... "But it doesn't have to be this way," says Matthew Ellman, MD, professor of medicine (general medicine) at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and director of Medical Student Palliative and End-of-Life Care Education. Ellman has spent decades at patients' bedsides and now teaches medical students about death and dying. In his recent essay in Academic Medicine, he draws from his personal experiences as a physician and encourages fellow doctors to embrace difficult conversations around end-of-life care.

Health Data Analytics Institute (HDAI) deploys innovative use of LLMs for summarizing and supporting patient preferences at a leading cancer center Bluegrass Live; by PR Newswire, Boston, MA; 10/20/25 An innovative new protocol called Better Real-time Information on Documentation of Goals of care for Engagement in Serious Illness Communication (BRIDGE-SIC) is being launched today at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. BRIDGE-SIC uses Health Data Analytics Institute (HDAI) large language models (LLMs) to extract and summarize patients' goals of care conversations and their risk stratification tools for patient selection. The AI summaries identify and summarize prior goals of care conversations documented in patients' medical records and share them with inpatient and outpatient clinicians when patients with cancer are admitted to the hospital.

[England] Ambulance team uses advanced ultrasound to help frail patients avoid hospital trips Emergency Services Times; by James Devonshire; 10/16/25 The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) is using cutting-edge medical technology to help elderly and end-of-life care patients receive treatment in their own homes, reducing the need for hospital admissions. The service’s advanced practice (urgent care) team has introduced point of care ultrasound (POCUS)—a portable diagnostic tool previously reserved for critically ill patients—to assess bladder and urinary conditions safely and effectively in community settings. Using the handheld Butterfly ultrasound device, paramedics can perform scans and interpret results via software on iPads, allowing for faster and more accurate diagnoses.

Medicare aborts apparent plan to pause all physician payments during shutdown MedPageToday; by Shannon Firth; 10/16/25 Amid the federal government shutdown, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday appeared to announce a pause on all Medicare payments to doctors, but then quickly backed off. An initial notice stated that CMS had instructed all Medicare Administrative Contractors to temporarily hold "all claims paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, ground ambulance transport claims, and all Federally Qualified Health Center claims" with dates of service of Oct. 1 and later. ... But within hours, the agency issued another notice saying it would only stop processing claims related to expired programs such as certain telehealth and hospital-at-home services, both of which had been expected ahead of the shutdown.

AdventHealth saves $47.5M with redesigned nurse career ladderBecker's Clinical Leadership; by Mariah Taylor; 10/9/25 AdventHealth’s redesigned career ladder has prevented the departure of more than 700 nurses and saved the system an estimated $47.5 million in 2024. The Professional Excellence Program launched in 2022 to keep nurses at the bedside and counter the notion that they had to migrate into leadership, quality or safety roles to progress in their career. “Historically, to advance, nurses often felt they had to step away from the bedside because those roles didn’t fully recognize the specialized competencies they bring,” Trish Celano, RN, system chief nurse executive for the Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based system, told Becker’s. “The clinical ladder changes that.” 

With palliative care, earlier referrals mean fewer end-of-life emergency department visits ONS Voice; by Anne Snively, MBA, CAE; 10/15/25 Patients with cancer who are referred to palliative care within one month of death have a mean of 1.17 emergency department (ED) visits, compared to a mean of 0.13 visits for patients referred to palliative care 12 months or more before death—a 160% difference. The data are part of a new study published in JAMA Network Open in July 2025. ... Most of ED visits (47.0%) and EOL ED visits (81.4%) occurred within one month of the palliative care consultation, but the researchers found that both kinds of ED visits “gradually decreased as the time from consultation to death extended.” 

Central Coast VNA & Hospice expands registered nursing care for hospice patients in Monterey County US National Times, Monterey, CA; 10/13/25 In response to increasing community needs, Central Coast VNA & Hospice has announced expanded support for registered nursing care and interdisciplinary hospice services across Monterey County, Salinas, Hollister, Santa Cruz, and surrounding Central Coast regions. The organization continues its mission to provide home-based, compassionate care through its nonprofit model serving families navigating complex health challenges, including terminal illness.

The unacknowledged grief oncologists face and the need for closure Medscape; by Mark A. Lewis, MD; 10/8/25 Hello, Medscape. It's Mark, and I just got back from a patient's funeral. I know — even for an oncologist, that sounds grim, but I have my reasons and I'd like to explain them to you. ... One of them is deeply personal. When my father died, his oncologist came to his memorial service, and that made a huge impression on me. I was 14 years old at the time. ... Now, there's a whole other video to be recorded, if not a whole book to be written, about how a patient dying shouldn't necessarily be viewed as a failure. Immortality, after all, is never the goal. ... I've been absolutely astonished by what I've learned about my patients posthumously. ... Most meaningfully, you get to witness the ripple effect of the patients on their families who love them and who will carry on their traditions and even some of their character traits. 

What we get wrong about death, according to end-of-life workers Yahoo Lifestyle, originally appeared on HuffPost; by Monica Torres; 10/10/25 The one big thing that people have in common is that we all will die, and we likely will experience the death of someone we love, too. ... That’s why it can help to hear the insights of people who see death all the time, because understanding it now can help us better process grief about others and feel more at ease when thinking about our own mortality. ...

Gerontological nursing essentials for BSN students: Meeting aging population needs Nevada State | RN to BSN; 10/9/25 An aging population is transforming healthcare delivery, and nurses are increasingly called to address the complex needs of older adults. For students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), learning the essentials of gerontological nursing provides the foundation to deliver compassionate, effective care. This specialty emphasizes not only clinical expertise but also communication, cultural competence, and advocacy for patient dignity. Explore what defines this field, the role of an adult gerontology nurse practitioner, and the pathways available to see how they can shape the future of elder care. Editor's Note: How is your organization supporting career growth for all staff members? While this article focuses on the RN-to-BSN pathway with a gerontological nursing emphasis, consider expanding professional development opportunities across your entire workforce—clinical and non-clinical alike. For example: 

Timing matters: Impact of early advance care planning conversations on hospice utilization in outpatient oncologyJCO Oncology Practice, An American Society of Clinical Oncology Journal; by Lydia Mills, Malia Albin, Ami Gorsky-Zabukovic, Liz Hutchison, Molly Mendenhall, and Robyn Tibert; 10/7/25  Results: 53% of physicians interviewed defined [Advance Care Planning] ACP as hospice, end-of-life, or code status conversations. This group of providers preferred waiting to conduct ACP discussions until later in a patient’s disease trajectory. However, 33% of physicians interviewed viewed ACP as broader discussions, to include patients’ values, goals and preferences for EOL care. These physicians stated they engage in ACP conversations as early as the first or second visit, especially with patients who have Stage IV disease or have a poor prognosis, introducing hospice as a potential option and revisiting these discussions throughout the course of treatment. PI data showed that providers who engage in early and consistent ACP discussions have a 17% higher hospice enrollment rate compared to their peers. 

Bayada receives $1m grant for nursing scholarships HomeCare, Philadelphia, PA; Press Release; 10/2/25 BAYADA Home Health Care, a nonprofit home health care provider, announced it has been awarded $1 million from the Regina Charitable Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation to sponsor 75 caregivers in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on their path to becoming nurses.  The Regina Charitable Fund is a nonprofit established to support organizations that provide care for chronically ill and indigent aged, and to train individuals to provide such care. ... While providing paid personal care and companionship services to BAYADA clients, program participants will receive scholarships of $10,000 each to attend the nursing school of their choice. 

Life lessons from a palliative care psychologist - and how to support a dying loved one HELLO! onMSN; by Pilar Hernán; 10/5/25 ... Psychological support becomes a fundamental pillar for providing comprehensive and humane care, from managing emotional pain to adapting to the new reality. MD Anderson Cancer Centre psycho-oncologist Fátima Castaño helps us understand the process, explaining how we can support a loved one in palliative or end of life care, and shares the powerful life lessons she has learned through her work.