Literature Review

All posts tagged with “Communication | Patients.”



Federal legislation would mandate hospice education upon hospital discharge

04/03/25 at 03:00 AM

Federal legislation would mandate hospice education upon hospital discharge McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 4/2/25 A bill under consideration in Congress would require hospitals to educate patients about hospice care options upon discharge. HR 2437, introduced Thursday by Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN), would amend Medicare policy to mandate that hospitals “provide information on available hospice programs to certain individuals upon discharge,” according to the bill. Although hospitals are not necessarily required to provide patients with information on available hospice programs upon discharge, they are encouraged to do so. [Continue reading ...]

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Niagara Hospice to offer free community presentation for National Healthcare Decisions Day

04/02/25 at 03:00 AM

Niagara Hospice to offer free community presentation for National Healthcare Decisions Day Niagara Frontier Publications; Press Release; 3/28/25 April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day, which is a day set aside to educate and empower individuals to discuss and document their end-of-life health care wishes. Niagara Hospice invites the community to attend the free presentation, “Advance Care Planning: Advance Directives for Health Care,” ... Advance care planning includes advance directives like health care proxies, do not resuscitate (DNR) orders, and living wills. Advance directives help to ensure end-of-life care wishes are followed if one is unable to make necessary decisions for themselves. [Continue reading ...]Editor's note: For more information about National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), explor The Conversation Project, at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. 

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Palliative care in the intensive care unit: An integrative review of intensive care unit health care professionals' views and experiences

04/02/25 at 03:00 AM

Palliative care in the intensive care unit: An integrative review of intensive care unit health care professionals' views and experiences Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing (DCCN); by Berit Lindahl and Susan Kirk; May-Jun 2025 ... Our findings suggest there is variation in how palliative care in the ICU is conceptualized and interpreted. Intensive care unit professionals need enhanced competencies and training to develop their confidence in providing palliative care and improve role clarity. Such training should focus on serious illness conversations with patients/families and interdisciplinary teamwork. Integration of palliative consultants into the ICU could be further developed.

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When medicine meets theater

03/31/25 at 03:00 AM

When medicine meets theater The Ticker; by Craig Manning; 3/30/25 Munson Healthcare’s newest partner is going to surprise you. Last year, a pair of physicians at Munson set out to help their colleagues improve at one of the most stubbornly difficult parts of the healthcare profession: delivering bad news to patients. That goal led Munson to strike up a partnership with Old Town Playhouse, melding medicine and theater for an innovative course that gives doctors a chance to practice difficult conversations. The doctors play themselves, informing patients about challenging or terminal diagnoses. The Playhouse actors play the patients, reacting differently depending on how their physician approaches the conversation. 

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Hidden battles: Keeping cancer secret

03/27/25 at 03:00 AM

Hidden battles: Keeping cancer secret Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School; by Maureen Salamon; post is dated 4/1/25, retrieved from the internet 3/25/25 Some people choose to conceal their diagnosis and treatment. Here's why — and reasons that approach can sometimes backfire. ... [In addition to privacy motives, Cristina Pozo-Kaderman, a senior psychologist at Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute] says cancer patients may also wish to:

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Medicare and 24-hour in-home hospice care​: Is it covered?

03/27/25 at 02:00 AM

Medicare and 24-hour in-home hospice care​: Is it covered?Healthline; Medically reviewed by Shilpa Amin, MD, CAQ, FAAFP and written by Mandy French; 3/25/25... Medicare offers hospice coverage for beneficiaries. However, there are certain eligibilities and guidelines that they must meet. ...

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The COVID mistake no one talks enough about

03/26/25 at 03:00 AM

The COVID mistake no one talks enough about The Atlantic; by Sunita Puri; 3/25/25 Deaths in isolation have been treated as a painful memory, not as a problem that hospitals need to address. He was one of the few ICU patients whose face I saw in early 2021, when COVID raged through Los Angeles. As a palliative-care physician, my job was to meet, over Zoom, with the families of intubated patients to ensure that they had complete medical updates and to help them make difficult medical decisions on behalf of their loved one, particularly when that person faced death. But in a surreal departure from my usual practice, I’d never once seen these patients myself: At the time, to minimize exposure to COVID, the only people permitted to enter the ICU regularly were members of the ICU team. ... His wife told me that during his many previous illnesses, she had slept every night in his hospital room, making sure he asked for pain medications and watching movies with him to pass the time. “He fought harder to live when I was there,” she told me. [Continue reading ... full access may require a free trial or subscription]

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SouthernCare Hospice of Milan decorates Vermilion and Milan with yellow ribbons in honor of Vietnam Awareness Day

03/25/25 at 03:00 AM

SouthernCare Hospice of Milan decorates Vermilion and Milan with yellow ribbons in honor of Vietnam Awareness Day The Morning Journal, Milan, OH; by Heather Chapin; 3/23/25 SouthernCare Hospice of Milan has hung yellow ribbons throughout Vermilion and Milan in honor of Vietnam Awareness Day, which is observed March 29. ... “Many people are still unaware of Vietnam Veterans Day, often confusing it with Veterans Day in November,” Huhra stated. National Vietnam War Veterans Day honors the veterans who served in the Vietnam War, with the date chose to mark the withdrawal of the last United States combat troops March 29,1973, he stated. “On March 29th, please show support to Vietnam Veterans that you know by saying ‘Welcome Home,’ ” the release stated. “It’s a national effort to acknowledge and thank the service and sacrifices of those who served in the Vietnam War, recognizing that they were not given the proper welcome upon their return from duty.”Editor's note: More information is at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Vietnam War Veterans Day, March 29, 2025.

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Hosparus Health hosts senior resource fair for community

03/21/25 at 03:00 AM

Hosparus Health hosts senior resource fair for community NBC WNKY News 40, Bowling Green, KY; by Noah Faerber; 3/18/25 Hosparus Health invited partners from the community to WKU’s Medical Science Complex for a senior resource summit. It offered seniors a chance to speak with different organizations that can help them prepare for their future. From Bowling Green Parks & Rec’s fitness department to different healthcare groups, staff were excited to have so many groups out to help look toward what’s next.

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[Australia] Advance care planning has brought 'comfort and peace' to Annaliese Holland

03/21/25 at 03:00 AM

[Australia] Advance care planning has brought 'comfort and peace' to Annaliese Holland ABC News; by Eva Blandis and Daniel Keane; 3/19/25Young South Australian woman Annaliese Holland, who is preparing for major high-risk surgery, has spoken about the importance of advance care planning. The 25-year-old was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease and terminal illness several years ago. Ms. Holland wants young people to have more open conversations about death and end-of-life care. ... "I say my life is like walking on a field of landmines, not knowing when it will go off,"  she said. While it is a harrowing statement, she is harnessing her situation to help others — Ms. Holland is a strong supporter of advance care planning.

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‘Early discussions on what to expect can lessen the strain’

03/21/25 at 03:00 AM

‘Early discussions on what to expect can lessen the strain’ Nursing Times; by Kylie Chaffin; 3/19/25 The article explains the pros and cons of nutrition and hydration at end of life and the several types of artificial nutrition and hydration that can be used, written in a way patients and families can understand. Resources and educational articles, like this one, can also be a great way to introduce new or even more effective ways nurses and care team members can support patients and families when pursuing a palliative approach to their health and wellbeing. My question for readers is, “Should the conversation of end-of-life, hospice and palliative care, and nutritional changes, be initiated sooner rather than later in patients with a terminal diagnosis?”

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10 things hospice doesn’t tell you, shared by a Cleveland Clinic doctor

03/21/25 at 03:00 AM

10 things hospice doesn’t tell you, shared by a Cleveland Clinic doctor The Healthy; by Patricia Varacallo, DO (author) with Laura Hoeksema, MD, MPH, FAAHPM (medical director for Cleveland Clinic Hospice); 3/19/25 ... Dr. Hoeksema shares key insights about hospice care and reminds patients and families that the hospice team is always available to answer questions and provide support when things feel uncertain.What hospice does not tell you, but you should know:

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The Stanford Letter Project helps you discuss your end-of-life wishes

03/20/25 at 03:00 AM

The Stanford Letter Project helps you discuss your end-of-life wishesKALW 91.7 FM - Your Call, Bay Area, CA; by Rose Aguilar and Nina Kissinger; 3/18/25 On this edition of Your Call, we discuss the importance of conversations, letters, and advance directives in communicating your end-of-life care wishes to loved ones and doctors. Although 92 percent of US adults say it's important to discuss their end-of-life care wishes, only 32 percent have had this conversation, and less than one-third have advanced-care directives in place. ... The Stanford Letter Project was designed to give you the tools you need to start the process. Dr. VJ Periyakoil, the founder and director of the project, shares her insights into making end-of-life care plans and resources to help guide you through the process. ... Resources [with links to the content]:

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