Literature Review

To stay open, rural nursing homes in the Midwest prioritize nurses NPR KCUR 89.3; by Aaron Bonderson; 5/1/24... Not enough nurses. Nursing home closures are creeping across Nebraska and other parts of the Midwest. Since 2020, 13 Nebraska nursing homes have shuttered, according to the American Health Care Association (AHCA). During that time, 25 Kansas nursing homes, 27 in Missouri, and 36 in Iowa closed their doors. According to the Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA), 22 nursing homes in Iowa closed in 2022 alone because of poor quality of care and low occupancy. ... Staffing shortages and quality of care concerns are the leading reasons long-term care facilities shut down, according to the AHCA and the CMA. The pandemic didn’t help matters, stretching employees and resources to their limits.Editor's Note: Click on the title's link and scroll down for a US map of states with data for rank, nurse staff hours per resident per day (HRPD), total nurses, and total providers.

Premier Physician Network partners with Empatia on palliative care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/30/24 Premier Physician Network (PPN) has launched an integrated palliative program among its medical group operations, in partnership with agilon health (NYSE: AGL) and its palliative arm Empatia. The program, branded as Senior Health Connect, will provide a palliative care program for Medicare Advantage patients who suffer from serious illnesses. Senior Health Connect is based on agilon’s palliative care model. “Our role there is as a partner. We bring technology. We bring insights. We can bring powerful data and care pathways,” Dr. Benjamin Kornitzer, agilon’s chief medical officer, previously told Hospice News. 

Penn State Hershey Medical Center nurses ratify new contractNBC WGAL TV 8; by Lori Has More; 4/27/24 More than 2,000 registered nurses working at Penn State Hershey Medical Center have ratified a new three-year contract. The union says their new deal will increase pay rates by an average of 22.5%, include more time off and new initiatives to address staffing needs. Editor's Note: These changes reflect national trends for recent healthcare strikes and high turnover rates: pay rates, work-life balance, and staffing. Additionally, we're seeing demands for improved workplace safety as a common theme for healthcare professionals.

AMA responds to UnitedHealth confirmation of stolen data from Change HealthcareAmerican Medical Association; 4/24/24The American Medical Association (AMA) is deeply concerned about the April 22 announcement from UnitedHealth Group (UHG) indicating vast amounts of sensitive medical data might have been stolen from Change Healthcare’s system and in the hands of malicious ransomware groups. “The AMA appreciates UHG’s statement outlining efforts to contain damage and provide support for people who are concerned about their personal data,” said AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., M.P.H. “The AMA urges UHG to quickly operationalize and fulfill its promises to help patients and physicians affected by the breach.”

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. 

Generative AI is supposed to save doctors from burnout. New data show it needs more trainingSTAT+; by Casey Ross; 4/25/24After stratospheric levels of hype, early evidence may be bringing generative artificial intelligence down to Earth. A series of recent research papers by academic hospitals has revealed significant limitations of large language models (LLMs) in medical settings, undercutting common industry talking points that they will save time and money, and soon liberate clinicians from the drudgery of documentation.

Across the nation, the fight’s on to protect physician-led careAmerican Medical Association - AMA; by Kevin B. O'Reilly; 4/25/24After helping state medical associations and national specialty societies defeat more than 100 bills to inappropriately expand nonphysicians’ scope of practice in 2023, the AMA is again relentlessly joining its allies in organized medicine to continue the fight for physician-led, team-based care in this year’s legislative session. This intensive and effective advocacy effort has ranged across the country, as the AMA has helped battle scope creep in Alaska, Connecticut, Georgia, Oklahoma, New Hampshire and elsewhere.

Beyond compensation: Culture as a benefit HR Daily Advisor; by G Hatfield; 4/24/24 Compensation is not the only factor that nurses consider when choosing a health system. Benefits packages, workplace culture, safety, and flexibility all play a role in the decision-making process. CNOs should take a look at their health system’s offerings to make sure they are attractive to new nurses and that they are staying competitive in the industry. During the HealthLeaders’ Nurse Labor and Compensation NOW Summit, Robin Steaban, Chief Nursing Officer at Vanderbilt University Hospital, spoke about  innovative perks to attract and keep nurses, and how workplace culture and safety play a role as benefits alongside compensation.

Nurses protest AI at Kaiser Permanente Becker's Health IT, by Giles Bruce; 4/22/24 Hundreds of nurses gathered April 22 to protest the use of artificial intelligence at Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente. The California Nurses Association held the demonstration at Kaiser Permanente's San Francisco Medical Center to coincide with the beginning of KP International's Integrated Care Experience conference. "It is deeply troubling to see Kaiser promote itself as a leader in AI in healthcare, when we know their use of these technologies comes at the expense of patient care, all in service of boosting profits," said Michelle Gutierrez Vo, BSN, RN, a president of the California Nursing Association and registered nurse at Kaiser Permanente Fremont (Calif.) Medical Center, in a statement. ...

Psychosocial distress screening among interprofessional palliative care teams: A narrative review Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, by Chelsea K Brown and Cara L Wallace; 4/23/24With increased need for palliative care and limited staffing resources, non-social workers are increasingly responsible for screening for urgent psychosocial distress. The National Consensus Project guidelines call for all palliative care team members to be competent in screening across domains. ... Although an abundance of validated screening tools exists for outpatient oncology-specific settings, there is minimal guidance on psychosocial screening tools intended for specialty palliative care. The most oft-cited tools have been met with concern for validity across diverse palliative care populations and settings. ...  

Behind the stethoscope: Exploring nursing ethics Noozhawk, Santa Barbara County, by Green Shoot Media; 4/22/24 The American Nurses Association developed a Code of Ethics for Nurses in the 1950s. It has been revised over the years to respond to technological advances and changes in society and the nursing field. Gallup takes a poll every year asks how the public ranks various professions for having high honesty and ethics. For 22 straight years, nurses come in as the most respected in terms of honesty and ethics. In 2024, 78% of the poll takers perceived them as honest.

Primary and specialty palliative care utilization at a regional Burn center Oxford Academic / Journal of Burn Care & Research; by Zoe Tao, MD, Alexandra Hoffman, BS, Anna Stecher, MD, Niknam Eshraghi, MD, FACS; 4/20/24There is little research informing appropriate specialty palliative care consultation over primary palliative care practice, or the ability of the burn surgeon to perform skills such as effective goals of care discussions. ... There is bias in diverting both primary and specialty palliative care resources toward acutely ill patients and those with less immediate projected mortality may need additional attention.