Literature Review

Experts warn of scams during Medicare Fraud Prevention Week Public News Service; by Suzanne Potter; 6/4/25 Medicare loses $60 billion to $80 billion a year to fraud and this year, for Medicare Fraud Prevention Week, your local Senior Medicare Patrol has good advice on how to spot a con. There are plenty of scams to be aware of. Karen Joy Fletcher, communications director with the nonprofit California Health Advocates, said beware if a caller asks to verify your Medicare number, claiming the program needs to send out a new type of card. ... ... Caregivers can be on the lookout for medical equipment arriving at the house even though the beneficiary never ordered it. Another red flag? A stranger may approach you in a parking lot asking you to sign up for new, free Medicare services like house cleaning or meals, which are then fraudulently billed to the government. ... Another scam involves tricking people into unknowingly signing up for hospice care. It is especially dangerous, because once a person is on hospice, Medicare will only approve palliative care and could mistakenly deny an essential surgery or medication.

How do you comfort a dying parent? U.S. News & World Report - WTOP News; 6/1/25 Caring for a parent who is dying can be emotionally taxing. ... Here are ten tips for how to conduct a caring conversation with someone who is dying — and how to know when to sit in silence too.

Experts discuss what hospice and palliative care are and how they can help ideastream public media; by Leigh Barr; 5/21/25Contemplating a life-limiting or life-changing illness or even death can be difficult topics for Americans.  Last year, USA Today conducted a survey which found about 30% of Americans surveyed found it difficult to talk about or even contemplate their own mortality. When it comes to managing serious illness or the final phase of life, surveys show that a majority of Americans say they have at least heard of hospice or palliative care but most admit they may not know a lot about either topic. We're going to talk about both to begin Wednesdays “Sound of Ideas” and try to dispel some of the myths that may surround hospice and palliative care. 

6 ways to successfully implement clinical communication tools Forbes; by Judit Sharon; 5/19/25 In the high-stakes environment of healthcare, communication breakdowns can have life-or-death consequences. Yet too often, hospitals and healthcare systems assume that simply deploying new clinical communication and collaboration (CC&C) tools will solve the problem. The reality is more complex: Successful implementation depends just as much on operational alignment, cultural change and thoughtful execution as it does on the technology itself. To turn communication tools into real transformation, here are six ways to drive successful CC&C adoption.

NorthStar Care Community launches 'Life's Big Moments' campaign to initiate nationwide conversation about end-of-life hospice care PR Newswire, Ann Arbor, MI; by NorthStar Care Community; 5/19/25 NorthStar Care Community has launched Life's Big Moments, a campaign that celebrates the beauty of life's journey from the big milestones to the small, everyday moments that leave the deepest impact on our well-being and purpose. The campaign aims to initiate conversation and awareness around end-of-life care while also raising money to benefit the members of NorthStar Care Community. Companies, organizations, and individuals are invited to support these efforts throughout the campaign, focusing on recognizing the needs of our Veterans.

TCN Video/Podcast: A Whole New Mind with Daniel H. PinkTeleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Chris Comeaux with Daniel H. Pink; 5/14/25What makes us uniquely human in an age of artificial intelligence? Daniel H. Pink, the bestselling author of A Whole New Mind, offers a compelling framework for thriving in a world where machines increasingly perform tasks once thought exclusively human. In this episode,  Pink, the world-renowned author of seven bestselling nonfiction books, discusses his interdisciplinary approach to understanding human motivation and the evolving work landscape in the AI age. Pink emphasizes the importance of empathy, creativity, and the need for individuals to augment machine intelligence rather than compete with it.  He also explores the role of technology in healthcare, particularly in Hospice Care, and the significance of human connection and listening in providing care.

A daughter’s cautionary elder care tale The Progressive Magazine - Book Review; by Bill Lueders; 5/12/25 The call that woke Judy Karofsky in the middle of the night on May 18, 2015, was from a hospice nurse, who got right to the point: “I’m calling to tell you that your mother has died.” Karofsky, deeply shaken by the unexpected news, managed to ask, “Did she struggle?” Karofsky’s important new book, DisElderly Conduct: The Flawed Business of Assisted Living and Hospice, does not mention the hospice nurse’s response to this question. But it does note that she called back a moment later to say: “I’m so sorry . . . . I called the wrong number. I’m at a different facility and I had the wrong file.” Karofsky’s mother, Lillian Deutsch, had not died at all. It was someone else’s mother. Apologies were made. This is just one of many stories Karofsky shares throughout the book about the final years of her mother’s life in Wisconsin. This particular anecdote strikes me as noteworthy not just as an example of the sort of awful things that can happen when facilities are understaffed and staff members are overworked, but also because Karofsky’s first reaction was to wonder whether she struggled.Editor's note: Though printed news typically lifts up the good, compassionate moments of hospice care, most all of us have experienced negative accounts--professionally and/or personally. While this book is sure to give significant insights, perhaps the most important lessons are waiting to be validated from your own family caregivers, employees, and volunteers. What stories are behind your lower-than-you-want CAHPS Hospice scores? Dig deeper. May we all listen, learn, and improve care.

What not to say to patients with serious illnesses Medscape; by Lambeth Hochwald; 4/30/25 Robert Den, MD, a radiation oncologist in Philadelphia, constantly reminds himself that while he’s in the ‘cancer world’ every minute of the day, his patients aren’t. “As oncologists, we may be meeting with the third patient that day with a newly diagnosed metastatic cancer, but for this individual, this is their first time hearing news like this,” Den told Medscape Medical News. That’s just one reason Den says words matter. ... [He identifies] "Five Things Docs Shouldn't Say" ...

Increasing timely code status discussions in hospitalized children with medical complexityJournal of Hospital Medicine; James Bowen MD; Laura Brower MD, MSc; Daniel Kadden MD; Jasmine Parker BS; Alexandra Delvalle BSN; Andrew Krueger MD; Kristin Todd MSW; Rachel Peterson MD; 4/25Children with medical complexity (CMC) have an increased risk of hospitalization and clinical deterioration. Documentation of code statuses concordant with family goals is rare, increasing the risk of serious unintended consequences. We aimed to increase the percentage of patients with documentation of timely code status orders (CSOs) from 5% to 80% over 6 months. Multiple plan-do-study-act cycles were performed focusing on interventions aimed at key drivers, including increasing knowledge in performing code status discussions (CSDs) and improving understanding of institutional policies. The average percentage of patients who received a CSO placed in their chart within 72 h of admission to the CCT [complex care team] increased from 5% to 61% over 6 months.

Think you know what nursing research looks like? Think again Boise State News, Boise, ID; 4/30/25 “Research” doesn’t just mean generating new discoveries through experimentation. Boise State supports Boyer’s model of scholarship, which expands the definition of research and creative activity to include applying and integrating knowledge into other settings, as well as teaching it. ... [An] interdisciplinary team is working to improve hospice and palliative care for refugees. ... Clinicians and refugees often do not share common cultures, languages or communication norms, so [Kate] Doyon has been building a community advisory board to create a communication guide. They’re working with stakeholders–including refugees and providers–to develop prompts that will enhance the care refugees receive, starting on the level of communication. Ornelas said the refugees they interviewed “gave us a lot of insight on different cultures and how we can go about and make prompts.” The prompts are short phrases to remind the healthcare team of best ways to interact with refugees and productively approach conversations.

Small acts of kindness can change someone’s world MedPageToday's KevinMD.com; by Jake Rattner; 4/26/25 So much of the world is centered around looking out for ourselves. We get caught up in our own problems, our own routines, and sometimes, we forget to stop and think about what someone else might be going through. ... But when we step outside of our own lives, even just for a moment, we start to see the bigger picture. ... In the end, it’s the simple things that matter. A conversation, a smile, a moment of recognition—these things can change someone’s entire day, even if you don’t realize it. ... Because sometimes, the best medicine isn’t even medicine—it’s just knowing that someone cares.

Prayer for patients? Readers and ethicists respondMedscape; by Alicia Ault; 4/24/25 ... In a recent Medscape column, Andrew N. Wilner, MD, related the story of a physician offering to pray for his wife at the conclusion of a routine visit. She had no previous relationship with the clinician and only a minor complaint. Wilner found the physician’s action disturbing and wrote in his column that while there might be situations where prayer would be appropriate, his wife’s visit did not fit in that category. Some readers took issue with Wilner’s response. ... He thinks there are a lot of considerations to weigh before a doctor should ask. “Prayer is very personal, and religious beliefs are very, very personal,” said Wilner, adding that “For some people, they’re profound.” Others might be agnostic, and it is not likely possible to know all of this if there is no prior patient-doctor relationship, said Wilner.