Literature Review

End-of-life doctors reveal 5 common fears people face in their final moments SavingAdvice.com; by Amanda Blankenship; 5/3/26  Most people avoid thinking about death, but doctors who work in hospice and palliative care say the same fears come up again and again. ... Research shows that death anxiety is common, with many people experiencing fear tied to the process of dying, not just death itself. ... here are five of the most common fears [identified by these doctors] among people facing their final moments.

Hospice nurses are changing how we care for patients at the end-of-life South Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report; by Karen Peterson; 5/1/26 Hospice nurses are often associated with compassion at the end of life. What is less understood is that they are also among the most clinically skilled nurses in healthcare. During National Nurses Week (May 6-12), it is important to recognize the many ways nurses shape patient care across the continuum. Hospice nursing is not a step away from acute care. It is an extension of it. ... A hospice nurse may be called to a patient’s home late at night for uncontrolled pain or severe shortness of breath .... In that moment, the nurse must assess, intervene and stabilize, while also supporting the family through fear and uncertainty. 

Improving advanced practice clinicians' knowledge and comfort of physician orders for life-sustaining treatment form: A homecare quality improvement initiativeGeriatric Nursing; by Jeanette M Ruiz, Yvonne Y Wu, Kristen R Choi, Emily J Martin, Eden R Brauer; 4/26Many advanced practice clinicians (APCs) lack formal training on how to effectively discuss the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) with chronically ill older adults, often leading to communication gaps and delayed end-of-life decisions. This quality improvement initiative aimed to improve APCs knowledge and comfort in initiating and documenting POLST discussions with community-dwelling geriatric patients. A one-hour online training, incorporating didactic instruction, role-playing, and debriefing, was delivered for APCs providing home-based care. Surveys conducted before and after the training measured ... improvements ...  in POLST completion documentation ... , POLST discussions documentation ... , POLST upload documentation ... , hospice knowledge ... , palliative care knowledge ... , preparedness to discuss POLST ... , comfort with end of life conflict discussions ... , addressing religious/cultural perspectives ... , and use of structured communication frameworks ...

Awards and Recognitions: April 2026

Mercy film starts dialogue on end-of-life care and dignity in dying The News Mill; 4/21/26 Director Mitul Patel revealed that his film ‘Mercy’ draws inspiration from actor Paresh Rawal’s account of his mother’s prolonged illness and coma, shared during an interview. This real-life story shaped the film’s exploration of end-of-life decisions and moral conflict. Patel told ANI, “As a writer, I look for conflicts in stories. I couldn’t find a bigger conflict than this where a son has to face this choice of letting go of his mother. ... “It will be better when we talk about mortality openly. End of life care, dignity in dying. We will start a conversation about all this. This is the goal of the movie.”

Hope, uncertainty, and hard truths: the complexity of goals-of-care discussions in oncology OncLive - Oncology Live; by Maurie Markman, MD; 4/10/26 ... While appreciating considerable variation in how individuals deal with their [cancer] diagnosis, as well as understanding the potential for difficult conversations regarding the specifics of available therapeutic options and anticipated statistically defined survival, it remains essential that such discussions be held. ... What is the most appropriate conclusion regarding a goals-of-care discussion? Should this patient have been offered further testing and therapy, or, based on the facts of this case, was hospice referral perhaps a more reasonable suggestion?

Arizona wound graft cases LundPerson & Associates Hospice Consulting - Enforcement Briefing; by Judi Lund Person; 4/23/26Hospice Patient Targeting - Detailed Case Card

AAHPM Hospice Statement approved by the Executive Committee on April 17, 2026 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; Press Release; 4/17/26 The AAHPM Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, in close coordination with Academy staff and trusted stakeholder partners, has been actively monitoring and discussing recent events and actions, including those by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as well as Congressional hearings related to hospice fraud. ... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) should target fraudulent hospices. We have provided guidance to CMS on our recommendations to do so with precision, including but not limited to identifying red flags such as those below, which should be applied with clinical context and should not be applied mechanically to penalize providers serving complex patient populations. [Continue reading]

Cultivating interdisciplinary shared wisdom through a structured case conference American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Meredith A. MacMartin, MD MS, Amelia M. Cullinan, MD, and Catherine H. Saunders, PhD MPH; 4/8/26 Objectives: To develop and understand the impact of a structured, case-based, facilitated discussion of communication challenges on the function and wellbeing of an interdisciplinary specialty palliative care team. Conclusions: Embedding a weekly facilitated case discussion in the usual practice fostered a virtuous cycle of individual growth and team connectedness among interdisciplinary palliative care providers. Similar conferences could be implemented in other medical teams to teach practical wisdom and reduce burnout.

Nearly 40% of physicians report high moral distress, which significantly increases burnout Healio; by Josh Friedman; 4/21/26 An AMA survey of more than 9,000 individuals showed nearly 40% of physicians report high levels of moral distress, yet most U.S. adults experience none at their occupation. Physicians who reported high levels of moral distress had a significantly higher likelihood of burnout symptoms and intent to leave the profession. “Physicians want to do what they believe is right for patients. That’s what we want all health care professionals to do, prioritize patient care,” Michael A. Tutty, PhD, MHA, group vice president of professional satisfaction and practice sustainability at AMA, told Healio. “Leaders need to think about how we can reduce or eliminate those ethical challenges that make it harder for physicians to provide high-quality patient care.”

Physician pay gaps by gender, race Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 4/16/26 Gender pay gaps continue to widen between male and female physicians, and physicians by race, Medscape’s Physician Compensation report found. ... The survey found that the gender pay gap has widened since 2023, going from men making $91,000 more per year than women to $102,000 more per year in 2025. This means men make about 31% per year more than women physicians. ... There are also substantial pay gaps based on race. White physicians make about $8,000 more than Asian Americans, the next highest paid group and $49,000 more than Black physicians, the lowest paid group.