Literature Review

Innovation in health equity research among priority populationsNursing Outlook; by Lenette M. Jones, Tam H. Nguyen, Forgive Avorgbedor, Crystal Chapman Lambert, Jean Edward, Michelle L. Litchman, Kimberly Souffront, Maya N. Clark-Cutaia, Dawn M. Aycock; 3/26All people deserve adequate health care and representation in research to ensure that their assessments, treatments, and services are effective. Historically, priority populations have endured the greatest inequities and disparities in healthcare access, quality, and outcomes. Priority populations include, but are not limited to, racial/ethnic minorities, women, older adults, rural residents, persons living in poverty, and persons with disabilities. A core mission of the Betty Irene Moore (BIM) Fellowship Program, started in 2020, was to develop nurses as catalysts in resolving healthcare deficiencies through bold leadership and innovation. The authors describe priority populations of interest among BIM fellows and how their fellowship-funded projects are tailored and targeted to advance health equity.

Increasing access to pediatric palliative care in a large hospital system: Trials and triumphs from an APRN initiativeJournal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing; by Faith Kinnear; 4/26 According to the Pediatric Palliative Care Task Force formed in 2020 and hosted by the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care, children with serious illness should have access to palliative care that meets the population’s unique needs. Taking care to assess needs, communicate with leadership teams, develop rapport with key stakeholders, and utilize the support staff already in place allowed for successful implementation of pediatric palliative care services at 2 satellite campuses over a 5-year span. Services included inpatient and outpatient patient care; ongoing family bereavement support; compiling staff resources and providing ongoing staff training in primary pediatric palliative care skills. Each satellite campus now has dedicated pediatric palliative care providers. This article outlines how the satellite palliative care programs were developed, the challenges and successes in the process, and the role of the APRN in program development.

Mercer professors awarded grant to explore how to better support dying patients The Den; by Katerine Lybarger; 3/26/26 Mercer University professors Caroline Anglim, Ph.D., and Paul Lewis, Ph.D., M.Div., have received a $60,000 Faith and Health Campus Grant from Interfaith America to expand both academic and public understanding of how faith, spirituality and health intersect. The initiative will aim to advance the concept of religion as a social determinant of dying well in the American health care system and include several components including curricular development, community partnerships and research.

Characteristics of United States Food and Drug Administration drug recalls involving opioid medications, 2002-2025Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety; by Julio C Nunes, Gabriel P A Costa, Joao P De Aquino; 3/26We reviewed more than 20 years of recall data from the United States Food and Drug Administration and found 286 recalls involving seven commonly used opioids, affecting over 350 million tablets, capsules, patches, and injectable products. Nearly half of these recalls occurred because products failed basic quality checks, while others involved incorrect doses, contamination, mislabeling, or defective delivery systems. The most serious recalls, those carrying risk of serious injury or death, were concentrated among fentanyl, morphine, and hydromorphone. Many recall notices lacked important details, including the number of units affected, making it difficult to understand how these issues may impact patients. Our findings show that opioid recalls happen regularly and often reflect manufacturing problems that could influence treatment safety or effectiveness.

Nursing home profit status and pain among residents living with dementiaPain Management Nursing; by Sorah Levy, Barbara Resnick, Elizabeth Galik, Kelly Doran, Tara McMullen, Sarah Holmes; 2/26Nursing home (NH) residents living with dementia experience pain that is often sub-optimally managed. Nearly one in five nursing home residents with dementia experience pain symptoms.There is a known relationship between NH organizational factors, such as profit status, and quality of care. However, little attention has been paid to understanding the relationship between NH ownership profit status and pain among residents living with dementia. NH ownership profit status was not significantly associated with pain ... 

Changes in RI hospice utilization and quality of care with increase in number of hospice programsJournal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Joan Teno; 3/26The number of licensed hospice programs in Rhode Island increased from four prior to 2017 to eleven by 2025, with many new providers being for-profit entities, some backed by private equity. Using public data, I analyzed trends in hospice use and quality, hypothesizing that the growth in providers may increase health care costs and raise concerns about the quality of care. Using public data, I analyzed trends in hospice use and quality, hypothesizing that the growth in providers may increase health care costs and raise concerns about the quality of care... Compared to not-for-profit hospices, for-profit providers showed significant differences in several measures, including a higher focus on enrolling patients with dementia—a population that may be more profitable because of their long length of stay and higher live discharge rates. A four-point difference in bereaved caregiver willingness to recommend for profit hospices indicates a moderate effect size5 and raises concerns about quality.

Identifying key components of neuropalliative care fellowship using nominal group techniqueJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; by Sachi Y Gianchandani, Jocelyn M Jiao, Kwame O Adjepong, Yaowaree L Leavell, Jessica M Besbris, Neha M Kramer, Joel N Phillips, Paul M Vermilion; 2/26There is no standardized curriculum for neurology-focused palliative care training. An adapted nominal group technique (NGT) was used to collect and rank responses to 2 key questions: "In designing the ideal dedicated neuropalliative care clinician training experience, what core components should be included?" and "When a general palliative care fellowship has a neurologist in their program, how could the program/program director potentially tailor the year to their unique needs?" For both key questions, the top-ranked responses included: dedicated outpatient neuropalliative care experience, mentorship from faculty with expertise in neuropalliative care, and a core didactic curriculum that includes neurology-specific content. Additionally, appropriateness for certification in hospice and palliative medicine was identified as crucial.

Effects of psychoeducation on burden, depression, and anxiety in informal caregivers of patients with dementia: A systematic review of randomized controlled trialsWestern Journal of Nursing Research; by Hyeyeon Shin, Chanchanok Wandee, Kathy D. Wright, Dónal P. O’Mathúna; 2/26As dementia rises globally, caregivers face prolonged and demanding responsibilities, increasing their risk of burden, depression, and anxiety. We aimed to identify the effectiveness of psychoeducation on burden, depression, and anxiety among informal dementia caregivers. This review clarifies the benefits of psychoeducation to inform the development of effective, targeted interventions. Psychoeducation offers dementia-related information, behavior management strategies, and caregiver support to improve mental health and caregiving effectiveness.