Literature Review

Artificial intelligence-powered predictive tools to improve end-of-life decision-making: mini-review British Medical Journal (BMJ) Supportive & Palliative Care; by Abdullah Alabbasi, Muhanad Alzahrani, Faris Sultan and Mohammed Sayes; 2/18/26 Results: ... Preliminary qualitative work indicates that AI-generated summaries may assist communication among healthcare teams, though concerns persist regarding transparency, bias and over-reliance on algorithms. Conclusions: AI-driven prognostic models show promise in improving risk identification and facilitating earlier engagement with palliative care. Nonetheless, the current evidence base is preliminary. Future research should include prospective trials and strengthened ethical frameworks to ensure that the integration of AI-based prognostic tools into end-of-life decision-making is both safe and equitable. 

Cognitive decline is often linked to hearing loss: This may be whyMedicalNewsToday; by James McIntosh; 2/16/26

A patient’s visit home Parkview Health; by Tim O'Sullivan, Parkview Hospice; 2/17/26 The Canal Stock Farm is more than a historical landmark along Old 24 in New Haven, Indiana. It is the home to now six generations of Ronald Hockemeyer’s family. Over the past year, members of the Parkview Hospice team had the privilege of getting to know Ron and the legacy of his familial home. ... Ron expressed his desire to have just one more day on the farm with his Parkview Hospice social worker, Emily Zimmerman. Emily was aware of a new program that makes the wishes of Parkview Hospice patients come true. She filled out the application and identified all the resources needed to secure a safe visit. Through the generosity of donors to the Parkview Foundation Hospice Fund, Ron’s day on the farm was made a reality.

Embedding care in the ED: Liz Goldberg and Lauren Southerland GeriPal; podcast by Alex Smith with Dr. Liz Goldberg and Dr. Lauren Southerland; 2/12/26 The idea of embedding various forms of non-emergency care in the emergency department makes a WORLD of sense.  If an older adult comes into the ED with a fall, the minimum the ED has to do is address the fall injury and send them out. But many emergency providers realize this is often a band aid.  They see that patient again the next time they fall.  And again.  And again.  The same could be said for the patient who is malnourished and dehydrated and admitted for “failure to thrive,” again. And again. Our two guests today, Liz Goldberg and Lauren Southerland, both emergency medicine physician-researchers, have had enough.  ...

Sabbaticals provide a critical lifeline for sustainable medical careers [podcast] MedPage Today's KevinMD.com; podcast by KevinMD; 2/14/26 Palliative care physician and certified physician development coach Christie Mulholland discusses her article “Why every physician needs a sabbatical (and how to take one).” Christie reveals the harsh reality that while sabbaticals exist on paper, unwritten rules often prevent doctors from accessing this critical recovery tool until it is too late. She shares her personal journey of taking an unsanctioned, unpaid break to combat burnout and how that decision allowed her to return to medicine with renewed purpose. 

What can we learn from death in the age of longevity? Time; by Arianna Huffington; 2/16/26 ... Research on those at the end of life shows that our values change as death approaches. At the end, we don’t crave more status or more things, but more connection. A study on terminally ill patients found that common reflections include concern for loved ones, gratitude, and spirituality. Another found that the most commonly discussed topics included accepting one's imperfections, celebrating and appreciating what you have, giving, and service to others. And a study of hospice patients found that they showed “the desire to grow and change at this critical time.” If hospice patients can grow and change at the end of life, why not grow and change now? ... It is a surprising, but important, lesson to learn: bringing death into our lives is what paradoxically allows us to live more fully.  

Palliative external beam radiation therapy for dysphagia in a 101-year-old man with esophageal adenocarcinomaCureus; by Pericles J. Ioannides, Jester M. Odrunia, Gina N. Perez, Morgan Butow, Georg A. Weidlich; 1/26Esophageal adenocarcinoma in centenarians is rare, and treatment options in this age group are limited. We present the case of a 101-year-old male patient with symptomatic distal gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma who presented with progressive dysphagia, aspiration, and weight loss. The patient underwent palliative external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) ... targeting the obstructive esophageal mass with a margin using volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique. The treatment was well tolerated by the patient with no significant acute toxicity. After treatment, the patient reported clinically meaningful improvement in functional status, with improved swallowing, advancing from liquids to a soft diet, weight gain, and improved QoL. Moderate-dose palliative radiation can be a safe and effective treatment in a centenarian with obstructive GEJ adenocarcinoma, particularly when endoscopic interventions are not successful or durable.

Florida’s rigid drug policy leaves cancer patients in pain | Column Tampa Bay Times, Tampa, FL; by Deborah Schofield; 2/11/26 Michelle was newly and suddenly diagnosed with stage IV cancer. She had pain every day. And in Florida, that made her suspicious. Despite a terminal diagnosis, ... [when] a prescription for Percocet was finally written, the reality of Florida's system came sharply into focus. Nine pharmacies - major national chains including CVS and Walgreens - told us they did not have the medication and could not say when they would. Nine. ... Eventually, hospice became involved. Only then did Michelle receive more consistent pain control. Yet even hospice was not immune to the system's failures. ... If Florida wants to lead on opioid policy, it must also lead on humanity. That means explicit protections for cancer and hospice patients, clearer regulatory distinctions between acute pain and end-of-life care, and accountability across pharmacy supply chains.

How an ethics course can prep you for med school: It can strengthen communication and empathy and help with complex treatment and research decisions. U.S. News & World; by Neha Raju; 2/10/26 Medical school applicants often focus on the most tangible parts of preparation: grades, MCAT scores, clinical hours and research. Ethics courses, when considered at all, are sometimes treated as peripheral or “nice to have” rather than genuinely useful. That view misses how central ethical reasoning has become ...

Spreading the principles of palliative care to all corners Health Affairs; by Jessica Nutik Zitter; 2/2/26 My daughter Sasha is a first-year medical student. ... Most recently, she has been envisioning herself as a palliative care physician. She tells me it may be the only specialty that will allow her to practice her values. As a long-time palliative care physician who has acted as an evangelist for the specialty, I surprised myself with a reflexive response. “I’m not sure that’s the best choice for you,” I said. ... Something needs to change—for our patients and for ourselves. ... I propose several strategies ...

Hospice clinicians' approaches to terminal restlessness: A qualitative analysisJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; Andy Jan, Molly Turnwald, Susan Maixner, Thomas O'Neil, Lauren Gerlach; 1/26Terminal restlessness is frequently observed in hospice, yet it lacks a consistent definition, diagnostic framework, and treatment approach. Five themes emerged [from this study]: (1) Diagnostic challenge-clinicians reported difficulty distinguishing terminal restlessness from delirium, pain, or medication side effects; (2) Common symptom profile-agitation, confusion, hallucinations, and constant movement; (3) Temporal association with active dying process-terminal restlessness was viewed as a sign of imminent death; (4) Ruling out reversible causes-pain, urinary retention, or other modifiable factors; and (5) Treatment variability-approaches varied, though most clinicians were more comfortable using sedating medications once death was perceived to be imminent.

“This is what loneliness looks like”: A description of a high-risk population of palliative and oncology patients American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Tamia Ross, MSPH, Ruwanthi Ekanayake, BA, Lucy Rabinowitz Bailey, MPH, Kain Kim, MD, and Emily Pinto Taylor, MD; 1/9/26 Background: Loneliness exacerbates symptom burden and reduces quality of life in serious illness. Social prescribing–linking patients to non-clinical community activities–offers a novel approach to address loneliness in palliative care. Results: Most patients were older, non-Hispanic Black women experiencing financial strain, food insecurity, and transportation barriers. Anxiety exceeded depression severity; mood disorders, loneliness, and social isolation were leading referral reasons.

Exploring Artificial Intelligence in hospice and palliative care: An integrative review of technological and clinical Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Tuzhen Xu, PhD, APRN, FNP-C, Caiyi Liu, PhD, BSN, RN, Lin Li, PhD, Dan Song, PhD, RN, Gloria M. Rose, PhD, NP-C, FNP-BC, and Sen Zhu, PhD; 2/4/26 Conclusions: AI holds potential in enhancing timely, patient-centered palliative and hospice care, supporting prognostication, symptom management, and decision-making. Successful integration requires attention to clinician trust, workflow alignment, equity, and ethical considerations. To maximize its impact on underutilization, future research should focus on multicenter validation, representative datasets, ethical deployment, and seamless integration into clinical practice.