Literature Review

Connecting palliative care and age‑friendly care to support what matters most Institute for Healthcare Improvement; by Marian Grant; 4/8/26 ... The 4Ms Framework of an Age-Friendly Health System identifies the core subjects that should drive the care of older adults. The 4Ms (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility) align with the approach of palliative care teams and are part of their comprehensive assessment. Age-friendly leaders and team members can use the expertise of palliative care colleagues to implement the 4Ms. Editor's Note: Click here for a great graphic of this "4Ms Framework." It states, "For related work, this graphic may be used in its entirety without requesting permission. Graphic files and guidance at www.ihi.org/AgeFriendly.

Spiritual distress screening by nurses to increase comprehensive spiritual support of patientsJournal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing; by Nair, Archana; Patterson, Dorothy; Hauver, Bethany; Labadie, Chelsey; 4/26This project aimed to address a gap in nurses’ awareness of spiritual care and comprehensive spiritual support of patients in a breast oncology clinic at a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center through interdisciplinary collaboration with chaplaincy. Following education, nurses screened patients during their initial visit to the breast surgical oncology clinic who were experiencing moderate to severe distress for related existential themes of distress using an assessment tool and referred them to chaplaincy or social work based on the screening results. Nurse-initiated chaplain referrals increased significantly during the study period, with the most common distress themes being stress, hopes/fears, and assistance/help. Patient acceptance of referrals averaged 18.7% for chaplaincy and 33.1% for social work. By enhancing nurses’ understanding of spiritual care and the role of chaplaincy, the clinic was able to improve the provision of comprehensive spiritual support, contributing to holistic patient care. 

Sovereign Hospice shares what MS families should know about palliative care Press Services, Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Press Release; 4/9/26 As National Healthcare Decisions Day approaches on April 16, 2026, Sovereign Hospice, a service area business based in Aubrey, Texas, is drawing attention to the care options available to families affected by multiple sclerosis. MS is a complex, progressive neurological condition, and many families reach critical decision points without a clear picture of what palliative care or hospice care can offer them.

How does Parkinson’s progress? End-stage symptoms and what to expectMass General Brigham; by Todd M. Herrington, MD, PhD; 4/7/26 The journey with Parkinson’s disease looks extremely different from person to person. ...

Quality improvement project: Implementing a mortality screening tool post hospital discharge to guide goals of care conversations and improve hospice admissions Geriatric Nursing; by Chelsea Goston, TeriAnn Benson, Heather Coats; 4/2/26 online ahead of print Problem: Bloom Healthcare has insufficient identification and under use of hospice services for eligible patients with chronic conditions. This gap leads to unnecessary hospitalizations, high costs, and suboptimal end-of-life experiences. ...Conclusions: The prognosis screening tool effectively facilitates timely hospice admissions and goals of care conversations in home-based care settings, enhancing end-of-life care and patient centered outcomes.

‘Startling’: Palliative care services often not provided for severe brain metastases Healio; by Josh Friedman; 3/3/26 Half of patients with the most severe brain metastases may not be receiving palliative care consultations. Those who do have a significantly higher likelihood of filling out advance directive documentation and getting hospice care, and they have similar OS as those who did not receive consultations. ... “We have to rephrase the word fighting,” [Rohit Singh, MD, medical oncologist and assistant profess at University of Vermont] said. “I tell my patients, you’re not giving up fighting [getting palliative care]. You’re fighting for what’s better for you. You’re fighting for your quality of life. That’s you making it better. You’re not giving up anything. You are making sure whatever time we have aligns with your goals.”Editor's Note: Powerful communication from Dr. Singh. Reframing “fighting” can serve as a catalyst for alignment—across patients, families, and care teams. Palliative care isn’t surrender; it’s a deliberate choice to prioritize what matters most.

“I just feel alone and by myself”: how adolescents experience loneliness when their parent has cancer BMC Public Health; by Lydia Mckeown, Martin Dempster, Jenny Groarke & Lisa Graham-Wisener; 3/31/26... Adolescents experiencing parental cancer report intrapersonal loneliness and interpersonal loneliness across their peer group and family life. Healthcare professionals should identify if patients have young dependent children early on so they can support parents to provide age-appropriate information about cancer to their young people and signpost parents to relevant support for their children. Editor's Note: This need becomes even more urgent when a parent is dying. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospice Conditions of Participation reference “family” 423 times—an intentional reminder that hospcie care extends beyond the patient. Supporting parents as they support their children is both essential and expected.

Woman pushes for end-of-life care protections after murder charge dropped WRDW/WAGT, Augusta/Harlem, GA; by Liz Owens; 3/30/26  woman indicted for killing her mother with a lethal dose of morphine is pushing to change the law after prosecutors dropped the charge six months later. Rachel Waters returned to Harlem on what would have been her mother’s birthday to lay Marsha to rest and advocate for Marsha’s Law, which would provide legal protection for family members giving end-of-life care to dying loved ones. “Today is the first time I felt any meaningful sense of closure,” Waters said. “It’s very surreal. It was almost exactly a year ago that I came down to turn myself in after the indictment.”

Top ten tips palliative care clinicians should know about wound care Journal of Palliative Medicine; by Nicole Dussault, Jared Morphew, Veronica Nwagwu, Brittany Gatta, Angela Richardson, Nancy Payne, E Foy White-Chu, Lidiette Wilson, Heather Dalton, Christopher E Winstead-Derlega, Katherine Ramos, Christopher A Jones; 3/30/26 ... In this article, we outline key tips for assessing and managing wounds, including understanding prognosis and goals of care, evaluating care settings, tailoring management to the underlying disease process, and addressing symptoms such as pain, odor, and psychosocial distress. A thoughtful, interdisciplinary approach is essential to reduce the physical and emotional burden wounds place on patients and caregivers.Editor's Note: As CMS implements the HOPE (Hospice Outcomes & Patient Evaluation) Tool as of October 1, 2025, skin and wound assessment becomes a visible quality marker in hospice—requiring structured documentation, ongoing reassessment, and clear alignment with patient goals. 

Mike Schramm: 'The Pitt' and the doctrine of double effect 1819 News, Birmingham, AL; by Mike Schramm; 3/27/26 ... In season two [of The Pitt], episode eight, Drs. “Robby” and McKay begin a conversation about a patient with terminal cancer in agonizing pain who is nearing death. “Where are we with the morphine?” Robby asks, suggesting they raise the dosage. After being told (surely for the viewers) “she could stop breathing,” he gestures and asks, “Are you familiar with the doctrine of double effect?” ... “We treat pain,” Robby explains. “And if, in doing so, there’s a negative side effect, we accept it.” “Even if the negative side effect is death?” McKay asks. While this might seem intuitive to some, its history and reasonability cannot be taken for granted. This doctrine of double-effect basically affirms that a good or neutral action may be morally undertaken in good conscience, even if one knows that a secondary bad result will occur from that action.

Part of the ‘nephrology toolbox’: ASN releases conservative kidney management guidance Healio; by Lucas Laboy, Susan P. Y. Wong, MD, MS, Jane O. Schell, MD, MHS; 3/27/26 The American Society of Nephrology issued new kidney health guidance on conservative management as a practical treatment option for patients with kidney failure. Key Takeaways: