Literature Review

Signs of end-stage Parkinson's disease Medical News Today; Medically reviewed by Heidi Moawad, MD, by Meara Withe; 3/18/24... Understanding the signs of end-stage Parkinson’s disease is crucial for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals alike. This article explores the physical health, mental health, and emotional dimensions of end-stage Parkinson’s, shedding light on what to expect and how to provide compassionate care during this demanding phase. Editor's Note: Hospice and palliative non-medical interdisciplinary team members need to understand disease-specific factors related to the patient's experience and the family caregiver's challenges. These include social workers, chaplains, counselors, and caregiver-oriented volunteers.  

Improvements in Interdisciplinary Communication Following the implementation of a standardized Handoff Curriculum: SAFETIPS (Statistics, Assessment, Focused Plan, Pertinent Exam findings, to Dos, If/Thens, Pointers/Pitfalls, and Severity of Illness) Cureus, by Shaefali Shandilya and Justen M. Aprile; 3/18/24 Handoffs between medical providers serve a crucial patient safety function. While most published literature on the topic studies the handover process among physicians, robust literature is available on interdisciplinary medical communication. Little is known about the downstream effects of effective physician handover on subsequent physician and nursing interactions. ...Results: Statistical analysis revealed significant post-intervention mean score increases of one full point in four categories, namely organization and efficiency, communication, content, and clinical judgment.

Palliative Care as ‘Personalized Medicine’Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/18/24The term “personalized medicine” is often used to describe health needs based on a patient’s genetics. However, more stakeholders are applying the term to palliative care. Personalized medicine is a step away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach to health care. The model uses information gathered from a patient’s genome to plan for care, treatment and services, and to some extent, predict a likely health trajectory, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Responding to Soul Injury: Tools for hope and healing Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing; by Deborah Grassman, Abi Katz, Luann Conforti-Brown, Josephine F Wilson, Angie Snyder; 3/13/24Soul Injury is defined as a wound that separates a person from their real self, caused by unmourned loss and hurt, unforgiven guilt and shame, and fear of helplessness or loss of control. Tools and interventions have been developed to guide people impacted by Soul Injury. This study assessed the effectiveness of 12 tools and interventions, ... The Anchor Your Heart tool was the most frequently used tool and had the most enduring utilization across time and settings.Editor's Note: Click here for The Anchor Your Heart Tool identified in this article. Share this research and article with your clinical teams and bereavement counselors.

What are ageing and death from a biological point of view? Polytchnique insights, by Alexis Gautreau and Clemence Guillermain; 3/12/24 Linking philosophy and biology may seem strange. Yet there are many subjects where the two disciplines come into play and are, in turn, essential to understanding them. Death is a perfect example. This biological reality remains an abstract concept until we experience it in our own lives. But, however abstract it may be, death is based on a biological reality. 

In the ICU, what is a good death? Understanding why clinicians and patients' families may disagree in Intensive Care Unit Northwestern Now, by Marla Paul; 3/7/24What is a good death for a patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)? The answer to that question may depend on whether you ask a family member of a patient or the physician, who are not necessarily aligned. ... Approximately 20-30% of people who die in the U.S., die in the ICU, according to previous research. Nearly 60% of ICU admissions result in death. Wide discrepancies have been documented between a patient’s stated preferences and the end-of-life care actually delivered.

Patients with metastatic cancer state more accurate prognosis when in poor healthMedscape / YouTube, Dr. Maurie Markman; 3/7/24Dr. Maurie Markman discusses a paper focused on the controversial oncology topic of prognosis beliefs among patients with metastatic cancer.Editor's Note: For the transcript, click on the link beneath the YouTube's description that has the text "medscape.com/viewarticle." 

Programmatic palliative care consultations in pediatric heart transplant evaluations Pediatr Cardiol, by Erika J Mejia, Rui Xiao, Jennifer K Walter, Chris Feudtner, Kimberly Y Lin, Aaron G DeWitt, Meeta Prasad Kerlin; 3/8/24 Guidelines advocate for integrating palliative care into the management of heart failure (HF) and of children with life-limiting disease. The potential impact of palliative care integration into pediatric HF on patient-centered outcomes is poorly understood. The present study sought to assess the association of programmatic implementation of palliative care into the heart transplant evaluation process with hospital-free days (HFD) and end of life (EOL) treatment choices. 

Rising suicide risk among seniors due to loneliness, mobility, financial insecurity, study finds McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 3/5/24As the number of adults over 65 continues to grow, suicide rates among older adults have also been rising, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Between 2008 and 2017, the share of suicide-related emergency department visits among adults 65 years and older more than doubled. These older adults face age-related stressors that can negatively affect mental health, such as declining physical health, reduced mental sharpness, or the loss of friends or loved ones, which can heighten the risk of suicide. 

What is the appropriate response when a colleague is not following an aid-in-dying law? American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying - Ethics Consultation Service; posted by Jean Abbott, MD, MH; originally posted 2/2/24 and emailed 3/4/24 Outline of Ethics Question: A resource practitioner for aid-in-dying care has encountered practitioners who have not followed the requirements of the laws in that state, including eligibility, documentation, and other standard legal or medical elements of aid-in-dying care. The resource practitioner wonders what ethical responsibilities should guide their response to these concerns. Definition of “resource practitioner”: An experienced prescriber who acts as a source of information or a mentor for others prescribing or consulting for patients considering aid in dying. Their role is to advise the provider on aid-in-dying best medical practices and the process required to comply with the law.

Debate intensifies over palliative care's reach: Wootton vs. Finlay's divergent viewsThe Wall Street Journal, by Getta Pillai; 2/29/24Discover the differing perspectives of Sarah Wootton and Dr. Ilora Finlay on the effectiveness of palliative care. Gain insights into the challenges and potential solutions in end-of-life care.

"The great escape": How an incident of elopement gave rise to trauma informed palliative care for a patient experiencing multiple disadvantage BMC Palliat Care, by Sam Quinn, Libby Ferguson, Derek Read, and Naomi Richards; 2/28/24Background: This case report ... illustrates how unresolved traumatic experiences across the life course can affect a patient's engagement with palliative care and offers insights into the flexibility and adaptations necessary for taking a trauma informed approach to care for an individual experiencing multiple disadvantage. 

Right-sizing interprofessional team training for serious-illness communication: A strength-based approach PEC Innvov, by Liana Eskola, Ethan Silverman, Sarah Rogers, Amy Zelenski; distributed 2/28/24Objective: Palliative care communication skills help tailor care to patients' goals. With a palliative care physician shortage, non-physicians must gain these serious illness communication skills. Historically, trainings have targeted physician-only groups; our goal was to train interprofessional teams.