Literature Review

[Australia] Defining the symptoms of personality and behaviour changes in brain tumour patients and their impact on caregiversSupportive Care in Cancer; by Emma McDougall, Haryana M Dhillon, Karin Piil, Lauren J Breen, Anna K Nowak, Sara Nordentoft, Sine Kjærgaard, Georgia K B Halkett; 10/25This study highlights the nuances and complexity in conceptualising personality changes in patients with a brain tumour and the grief, isolation, and safety concerns experienced by carers. Brain tumour-related aggression was identified as a significant concern by both healthcare professionals and carers, lacking clinical guidelines internationally for managing violence and aggression in this population. Future research is required to test interventions and support for safeguarding and risk management for patients and their family members.

Transfusion access central to hospice decision-making among patients with blood cancers The ASCO Post; by Julia Cipriano, MS, CMPP; 11/13/25Based on the results of a multicenter cross-sectional survey study published in JAMA Network Open by Raman et al, patients with blood cancer who were potentially hospice-eligible placed the greatest importance on transfusion access compared with routine hospice services. “The high value placed on transfusion access suggests that this factor is central to hospice decision-making and highlights the need for novel hospice delivery models that incorporate palliative transfusion access for patients with advanced blood cancers,” the investigators commented. Editor's Note: Revisit our previous post, "Access to hospice and certain services under the hospice benefit for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease or cancer."

31 shocking confessions people made to their doctors and nurses on their deathbed BussFeed; by Hannah Marder; 11/12/25 Being on your deathbed puts everything into perspective, and sometimes, the dying have something big to get off their chests. No one knows this better than those who work with the dying, who bear witness to these disturbing confessions. ...Editor's Note: This BuzzFeed feature compiles unverified, anonymous accounts of “deathbed confessions” shared by clinicians online. While written for popular appeal, it touches a truth familiar to hospice and palliative professionals: dying patients often reveal deeply held truths when facing the end. We share it as a reminder that such moments call for clinical steadiness, ethical awareness, and the presence of board-certified chaplains—those uniquely trained to meet these revelations with compassion and care.

Difference-making factors linked to higher reach of Specialist Palliative Care among people with heart failure across a national sample of VA Medical Centers American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Yan Zhan, PhD, RN, MBA, Edward J. Miech, EdD, Erica A. Abel, PhD, MD, and Shelli L. Feder, PhD, APRN, FPCN, FAHA; 11/10/25 Conclusion:  High Specialist Palliative Care (SPC) reach among people with advanced heart failure (aHF) was linked to combinations of several modifiable factors related to staffing, cardiology involvement, and outpatient palliative care. These findings provide actionable insights into improving SPC delivery across VAMCs.Editor's Note: What education or other partnerships do you have with VA Medical Centers in your service areas? Or, what gaps for veterans exist because of a lack of VA Medical Centers? Use these "combinations of modifiable factors related to staffing, cardiology involvement, and outpatient palliative care" for your strategic planning to improve care for veterans struggling with advanced heart failure.

Integrated clinical-social care and boundaries of health careJAMA Health Forum; by Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, Marco Thimm-Kaiser, Adam Benzekri, Kody H. Kinsley; 10/25After a decade of growing momentum, the future role of health care in addressing patients’ health-related social needs (HRSNs) through integrated clinical-social care is uncertain. There is agreement that increasing health care expenditures are a significant burden on the national budget, but there is disagreement over remedies to reduce costs while improving outcomes. We argue that a constructive debate over the role of integrated clinical-social care within health care reforms requires a shared vision for its implementation. We advance this debate by delineating the boundaries of what the health care system, social welfare system, and bridging infrastructure between them can deliver in an integrated clinical-social care paradigm.

Don’t kick your bucket list, UT Arlington study says Texas Standard; by Laura Rice and Kaye Knoll; 11/3/25 You’re likely familiar with the concept of a bucket list: a list of things you want to do before you die, or “kick the bucket.” It’s a reminder to make every day count, and make your dreams come true. When it comes to those final days, though, it turns out that dreams can make dying a little less of a downer. According to a new study from the University of Texas at Arlington, making and fulfilling a bucket list as part of end-of-life care can help reduce anxiety and depression, provide hope to struggling patients and give families a chance to bond one last time. 

HBO’s ‘The Pitt’ inspires viewers to consider organ donation, end-of-life planning WBOG Country 101.3; by Ozzy; 10/28/25 A University of Southern California study reveals HBO’s Emmy-winning The Pitt motivates viewers toward organ donation and end-of-life preparations. Research examining two multi-episode storylines shows 26.9% of surveyed audiences sought organ donation information while 17.2% shared donation details with others. The organ donation narrative particularly resonated with Black viewers, a demographic overrepresented on transplant waiting lists yet underrepresented as donors. Editor's Note: The Pitt's storyline involving organ donation is from Season 1, Episode 6, titled' 12:00 P.M."

Ana Maria Rodriguez files a bill to better ensure patient choices are honored in end-of-life care Florida Politics; by Andrew Powell; 10/31/25 Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez wants to make sure physicians follow directives from Florida patients who communicate and preauthorize end-of-life care preferences. Those can include pain management choices and interventions that artificially prolong the process of dying. The Doral Republican filed a bill (SB 312) that aims to establish and regulate “patient-directed medical orders” within Florida law, ensuring that patient preferences, such as withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining interventions, are honored and respected across health care settings.

Updated opioid prescribing guidelines: Implications for nurse practitioners The Nurse Practitioner / Lippincott; by Rhond Winegar, PhD, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CCRN, CPN; Tara Martin, MSN, RN, CPN; Zhaoli Liu, PhD, FNP-C, CPPS; November 2025 issue. The opioid epidemic remains a significant public health challenge in the United States. Nurse practitioners (NPs) play a crucial role in addressing this crisis. This article discusses the implications for NPs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2022 updated clinical practice guideline on opioid prescribing, focusing on four key areas: 1) deciding whether to initiate opioids, 2) determining appropriate opioids and dosages, 3) determining treatment duration and follow-up, and 4) implementing risk assessment and mitigation strategies. Adhering to this guideline enables NPs to optimize opioid prescribing practices and deliver patient-centered care that aligns with public health priorities to combat the opioid crisis.

[United Kingdom] New end-of-life checklist designed to remove stress in time of crisis Independent; by Aine Fox; 10/27/25 Marie Curie has published an end-of-life checklist to encourage the public to think about their end-of-life care. The list, curated by clinicians, covers everything from wills to wakes and what we might want to happen to pets and social media accounts when we die. The document features five categories, including legal and money matters, people, pets and things important to me, an advance care plan, my funeral, a wake or celebration of life, and making and leaving behind memories. Editor's Note: To download USA Advance Directives for each state, visit (1) CaringInfo (set up by NHPCO 15+ years ago), A Program of the National Alliance for Care at Home, or (2) AARP's Find Advance Directives Forms by State (uses CaringInfo's form, but more user-friendly navigation).

Post-biographical dignity in the age of artificial intelligence: Narrative, ePROMs and ethical challenges in end-of-life care Palliative & Supportive Care; by Abel García Abejas, David Geraldes Santos, Helder Mota-Filipe, Àngels Salvador Vergés; 10/27/25 Significance of results: End-of-life care in the age of AI must move beyond autonomy-focused ethics to encompass the narrative, relational, and posthumous dimensions of dignity. A critical, philosophically informed ethics is essential to prevent depersonalisation in digitally mediated care.

Engaging community health workers in Advance Care Planning  Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/24/25 Three organizations have developed an advance care planning training program in Illinois for community health workers that could potentially be adapted for other states. The seeds for the project were planted when the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA) was awarded a grant by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). IPHA proceeded to engage the Illinois Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (IL-HPCO) and the HAP Foundation as subject matter experts to help develop the curriculum, as well as the education company Hospice Media, which filmed and designed the modules and workbooks.

How to manage financial caregiving for an aging parent AOL.com; by Kerry Hannon; 10/25/25Steering end-of-life financial decisions for an aging parent is not a job many of us would choose. But we do — and feel our way through the messy emotions as best we can. ...[From an interview:] "[Your mom] was rejected for hospice care, which is covered by Medicare. Can you elaborate on that?""That was just such a slap in the face because it's a hard decision to go to hospice. ... My mom made that decision for herself, but my brother, the doctors, and me had to be on board with it in order for her to do it. The only reason they rejected her is because they thought she would be too costly. They do a cost-benefit analysis of how long that person is going to last— how much [in] resources is she going to consume? They decided that her diagnosis was too murky to justify putting her on hospice at that point. I finally found another hospice company to accept her. And she died in two weeks."