Literature Review

A new way to prepare doctors for difficult conversations University of Rochester; by Bob Marcotte; 7/10/26 [This post was originally published on July 15, 2021. It has been updated and republished to include a video about using SOPHIE for dentist-patient communication training.] As many as 68 percent of late-stage cancer patients leave their doctor’s offices either underestimating the severity of their disease, overestimating their life expectancy—or both. These misunderstandings can hinder the ability of patients and their families to make realistic decisions about whether to continue aggressive treatments or instead turn to palliative care. To address the problem, University of Rochester computer scientists, palliative care specialists, and practicing oncologists are perfecting SOPHIE (Standardized Online Patient for Healthcare Interaction Education)—an online virtual “patient” that helps physicians practice how to communicate effectively with late-stage cancer patients about their disease.

Relationships between advance care planning engagement, patients’ religious practices, and spirituality American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Robyn M. Axel-Adams, MS, MDiv, BCC, HEC-C, Emily Fox Ludden, MDiv, MGS, and Alexia M. Torke, MD; 7/2/26Background: Research has shown that people who consider themselves religious have a lower advance directive (AD) completion rate. However, advance care planning (ACP) includes a broader range of activities that are important in determining medical treatments. ... Conclusions: In contrast to prior findings of lower AD completion in more religious individuals, this study found that higher religiosity and spirituality are associated with higher ACP engagement. These results suggest ACP opportunities offered for religious congregations or spirituality focused communities may be especially successful.

[Germany] Doctor with “lust for murder” convicted in deaths of 15 patients in Germany, sentenced to life in prison Europe Says; 7/8/26 A German palliative care doctor accused of killing 15 patients and described by prosecutors as having “a lust for murder” was convicted Wednesday and sentenced to life in prison. The 41-year-old Berlin doctor, identified only as Johannes M., allegedly killed 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024 using deadly cocktails of sedatives. On at least five occasions, he allegedly set fire to the victims’ apartments to cover up the killings. ... The doctor allegedly “administered an anesthetic and a muscle relaxant to his patients without their knowledge or consent,” the Berlin prosecutor’s office said in a statement. “The latter paralyzed the respiratory muscles, leading to respiratory arrest and death within minutes.”

Hospitals confront nursing opposition to AI HFMA; by Rich Daly; 7/7/26 Health systems’ adoption of artificial intelligence to improve productivity increasingly is meeting opposition from their nursing staff. Nurse opposition to AI has become most visible in nurse strikes, where limits and guardrails on AI deployment for clinical and administrative uses have emerged. Sixty-five percent of hospitals reported using AI or predictive models integrated with their electronic health records (EHRs) in 2023, according to a recent study. But nurse distrust of the technology was seen in a 2024 National Nurses United survey of 2,300 registered nurses, which found that 60% of respondents did not trust their employers to prioritize patient safety when implementing AI.

After Nebraska sanctions and federal charges, Iowa nurse surrenders license Iowa Capital Dispatch; by Clark Kauffman; 7/7/26 Almost two years after the State of Nebraska revoked a nurse’s ability to practice there for posing a “significant risk to public safety,” Iowa’s Board of Nursing has agreed to accept the nurse’s surrender of her license to practice in Iowa. The decision by the Iowa board comes after Brandy Wicks, a registered nurse from Treynor, was accused of stealing patient medications from a hospital, a home-hospice program and at least two nursing homes, and after her indictment on 11 federal criminal charges.

As AI listens to patients, physicians face new questions Medscape; by Michael Waldholz; 6/22/26 Like much of modern life, medicine is rapidly being reshaped by AI. The fastest-growing — and potentially most consequential — application in healthcare is a technology known as “ambient intelligence.” ... According to a new report from the Peterson Health Technology’s AI Taskforce, “There is no technology in recent memory that has been adopted more enthusiastically by clinicians or has scaled up so uncharacteristically fast, absent a regulatory mandate.” But with the enthusiasm comes concern. The AI scribe field is unregulated, so an application’s accuracy isn’t being independently monitored. In one recent study, researchers reported scribes produced inaccuracies that the authors say will require “vigilance.” 

7 ways palliative care can help people with ATTR-CMEveryday Health; by Abby McCoy, RN; 7/3/26 Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM), a rare type of heart failure, can cause symptoms that affect more than just your heart, and many of them can lower your quality of life. But palliative care, or care meant to provide symptom relief, comfort, and support, can help you live better with this condition. ... Here’s how your palliative care team can help you manage life with ATTR-CM and feel your best.

The impact of educational interventions on nursing students' attitudes towards end-of-life care: a cross-sectional study Nursing Open; by Mayra Veronese and Cristiana Rago; 6/28/26 Aim: To evaluate nursing students' attitudes towards end-of-life care and assess the impact of an elective educational course on shaping these attitudes. Implications for the Profession: Although nursing students exhibited generally positive attitudes towards end-of-life care, theoretical instruction alone proved insufficient to significantly enhance their preparedness for palliative care practice. These findings have direct implications for nursing education and clinical care quality: integrating comprehensive, experiential palliative care education throughout nursing curricula, ...

Supporting mental health in end-of-life care – associate professor Sarah Yardley ehospice; by Dr. Sarah Yardley; 6/29/26 [Based on hospice observations described earlier in this article] ... I propose several ideas that support relationship centered care:

Clinical Artificial Intelligence as a novice nurse: Leadership responsibilities for safe implementationNurse Leader; by Asiah Ruffin; 5/26Clinical artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly integrated into health care environments, influencing clinical workflows, documentation, decision-making, and patient communication. While AI is often introduced as a technical innovation, its implementation presents significant leadership responsibilities related to safety, workforce readiness, and organizational oversight. This commentary proposes an analogy that conceptualizes clinical AI systems as novice nurses—entities that require structured orientation, supervision, feedback, and ongoing development rather than autonomous trust. Using this analogy, the article examines risks associated with premature reliance on AI, including workflow disruption, performance variability over time, and limited user understanding of system capabilities and limitations. The commentary also outlines practical leadership considerations, including investing in workforce education, collaborating with human factors experts, establishing governance processes, and engaging in policy advocacy.

Palliative care or hospice? Flipping the classroom for 1st year pre-clinical medical students with interactive online contentAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Maxwell Vergo, Charles Wang, Lawrence Myers; 5/26Although palliative care competencies appear on USMLE [United States Medical Licensing Examination] examinations, pre-clinical curricula devote minimal time to end-of-life education. We created a 30-minute interactive online module in Articulate 360™ for first year students covering palliative care definitions, eligibility criteria, and care settings. In-class time was restructured to small group case discussions distinguishing primary palliative care, specialty palliative care, and hospice. Correct responses on a palliative care examination question improved from 57% (2020-2021, virtual lecture) to 66%, 67%, and 80% in subsequent years with the flipped intervention. The pre-work engaged students in learning (79-89% agreement), enabled focus on advanced topics during class (73-77% agreement), and was described as interactive and helpful in teacher evaluations.

Nurse perceptions of end-of-life care quality across long-term care, home, and social model hospice home settings: A qualitative descriptive studyAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Helen Mavis Farrar, Kelley Easterling Scott; 5/26This qualitative descriptive study explored nursing perspectives on end-of-life care quality across 3 distinct community settings: long-term care facilities, patients' homes, and social model hospice homes. Nurses provide most of the direct end-of-life care in these settings, yet their perspectives remain understudied. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 licensed nurses who had provided end-of-life care across all 3 settings. Analysis revealed 4 major themes: (1) setting-based care disparities, (2) nurses as educators and translators, (3) mediation of caregiver burden across settings, and (4) relationship-based care as foundational for peaceful deaths. Care setting profoundly influenced these nurses' ability to deliver quality end-of-life care. 

Family caregivers' perspectives on challenges and support needs in hospital-based palliative care for persons living with dementia Baylor Medicine | Texas Medical Center Documents ; by Jung Kwak, Anita Chary, Sarah Stayer, Kwaku Duah Oppong, Sumin Yoon, Snehal Patel, and Elizabeth A Kvale; originally pub 11/17/25, reposted online 6/23/26Palliative care needs of hospitalized persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their family caregivers remain poorly understood. ... Thematic analysis of interviews revealed three themes: the value of palliative care in navigating end-of-life uncertainty in dementia, uncoordinated and reactive care during hospitalization, and lack of guidance for post-hospital transitions. While caregivers valued palliative care for emotional and decision-making support, findings underscore the need for earlier integration and improved coordination across hospital teams to better support families.