Literature Review
All posts tagged with “Research News.”
Primary author characteristics associated with publication in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
02/10/24 at 03:40 AMPrimary author characteristics associated with publication in the Journal of Pain and Symptom ManagementJournal of Pain and Symptom Management, by Maurice C Scott, Katherine T Morrison, Riley Gillette, Ben Harnke, Jean S Kutner, Kathryn L Colborn; 2/24Scientific journals are the primary source for dissemination of research findings, and this process relies on rigorous editorial and peer-review. As part of continuing efforts by the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management (JPSM) to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion, JPSM's leadership requested an external evaluation of their publication decisions.Publisher's note: Please also see the accompaning "Evaluating equity in the Journal of Pain & Symptom Management's editorial processes" by David J Casarett, Vyjeyanthi Periyakoil, David Hui, Solomon Liao. I applaud JPSM for both undertaking this external review and reporting outcomes.
Participant safety in multisite, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials in hospice/palliative care: Data from the contracted studies of the Australian National Palliative Care Clinical Studies Collaborative
02/10/24 at 03:35 AMParticipant safety in multisite, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials in hospice/palliative care: Data from the contracted studies of the Australian National Palliative Care Clinical Studies CollaborativeJournal of Palliative Medicine, by David C. Currow, Belinda Fazekas, Linda Brown, Slavica Kochovska, Katherine Clark, Meera R. Agar; 1/24Controversies surround conduct of phase III clinical trials in palliative care... These studies are safe for participants and generate knowledge to support informed patient decision making.
Advancing the science of palliative care: Contributions of the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group
02/10/24 at 03:30 AMAdvancing the science of palliative care: Contributions of the Palliative Care Research Cooperative GroupJournal of Palliative Medicine, by Jean S Kutner, Kathryn I Pollak, Karen A Kehl, Christine S Ritchie; 2/24The Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC) formed to lead, catalyze, and empower a community of scientists to build an evidence base to ensure high-quality care and optimal well-being for persons with serious illness and their caregivers. The PCRC grew to 630 members representing 220 distinct sites... The PCRC filled an important void in serious illness science and set the stage for the next era of advancing serious illness research.
A comparison of hospice care utilization between rural and urban children in Appalachia: A geographic information systems analysis
02/10/24 at 03:25 AMA comparison of hospice care utilization between rural and urban children in Appalachia: A geographic information systems analysisAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, by Radion Svynarenko, Guoping Huang, Jessica Keim-Malpass, Melanie J Cozad, Kerri A Qualls, Whitney Stone Sharp, Deb A Kirkland, Lisa C Lindley; 3/24Long driving times from hospice providers to patients lead to poor quality of care, which may exacerbate in rural and highly isolated areas of Appalachia. This study aimed to investigate geographic patterns of pediatric hospice care across Appalachia... State-level policies should be developed to reduce driving times from hospice providers.
Parent priorities in end-of-life care for children with cancer
02/10/24 at 03:20 AMParent priorities in end-of-life care for children with cancerJAMA Network, by Prasanna Ananth, MD, MPH; Meghan Lindsay, MPH; Sophia Mun, MPH; Sarah McCollum, MPH; Veronika Shabanova, PhD; Sophia de Oliveira; Sarah Pitafi, BA; Rebecca Kirch, JD; Xiaomei Ma, PhD; Cary P. Gross, MD; Jackelyn Y. Boyden, PhD, MPH, RN; Chris Feudtner, MD, PhD, MPH; Joanne Wolfe, MD, MPH; 5/15/23Question What do parents who lost a child to cancer prioritize in measuring end-of-life care quality? Findings In this survey study of 61 bereaved parents, respondents prioritized end-of-life quality measures focused on symptom management and goal-concordant care, characterizing quality measures assessing their own psychosocial support and their child’s hospital resource use as substantially less important.
Hospice capacity to provide General Inpatient Care: Emergency Department utilization and live discharge among cancer patients
02/10/24 at 03:15 AMHospice capacity to provide General Inpatient Care: Emergency Department utilization and live discharge among cancer patientsAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, by Kyusuk Chung, M Courtney Hughes, Sara Rahmanian Koushkaki, Mia Richelle Risberg, Michelle Alcantara, Jennifer M Amico; 1/24Our results suggest that hospices capable of providing GIP care have lower live discharge rates than their counterparts. However, the fact that GIP care tends to be provided too close to death limits its effectiveness in preventing avoidable emergency department use.
Live discharge of hospice patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: A systematic review
02/10/24 at 03:10 AMLive discharge of hospice patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: A systematic reviewAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, by Stephanie P Wladkowski, PhD, LMSW, APHSW-C; Cara L Wallace, PhD, LMSW, APHSW-C; Kathryn Coccia, MM, MT-BC; Rebecca C Hyde, MLIS; Leslie Hinyard, PhD, MSW; Karla T Washington, PhD, LCSW; 2/24This systematic review summarizes the growing body of evidence on live discharge among hospice patients with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD), a clinical subpopulation that disproportionately experiences this often burdensome care transition.
Hospice care experiences among Medicare decedents with and without COVID-19, 2020–2021
02/10/24 at 03:05 AMHospice care experiences among Medicare decedents with and without COVID-19, 2020–2021Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, by Ann Haas MS, MPH; Rebecca Anhang Price PhD; Marc N. Elliott PhD; Joan M. Teno MD, MS; Maria DeYoreo PhD; 2/24COVID-19, the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020–2021, affected hospice care for all patients and their caregivers in many ways; patients with COVID-19 faced additional restrictions on visitations as well as direct effects of the disease. Using CAHPS Hospice Survey data from 3274 hospices nationally, we found that caregivers of Medicare decedents without COVID-19 diagnoses in 2020–2021 reported slightly worse hospice care experiences than caregivers prior to the pandemic. However, experiences for decedents with COVID-19 early in the pandemic (Quarters 2–4 of 2020) were 3.2 to 4.3 points lower than for decedents without COVID-19; these are medium-to-large differences, and larger than observed among any of the 20 most common primary diagnosis groups for the 2 overall assessments of care.
Saturday Newsletters
02/10/24 at 03:00 AMSaturday NewslettersResearch literature is the focus of Saturday newsletters - enjoy!
Study testing new strategy for spotting, managing pain in dementia patients
02/05/24 at 04:04 AMStudy testing new strategy for spotting, managing pain in dementia patients McKnights Long-Term Care News, by Kimberly Marselas; 2/1/24Up to 80% of dementia patients living in nursing homes also experience pain, but many struggle to communicate their symptoms. A new, $2.1 million study aims to test recently revised guidelines for staff members tasked with detecting and managing that pain. ... Barbara Resnick, PhD, RN, professor and associate dean for research at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, will lead the project at 12 nursing homes over the next five years.
A survey of state correctional health care providers on advance care planning: Opportunity for collaboration with corrections
02/03/24 at 03:45 AMA survey of state correctional health care providers on advance care planning: Opportunity for collaboration with correctionsAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, by Susan O’Conner-Von, PhD, RN-BC, CNE, FNAP; Rebecca Shlafer, PhD, MPH; Paul Galchutt, MPH, MDiv, BCC; Sara Kettering, MPH; Ali Bouterse, BA; Rebecca Freese, MS; and Patricia Berry, PhD, APRN, CNP, FAAN; 1/27/24Prison populations are rapidly aging. Persons in prison age quicker and suffer more chronic illness and disability than their nonincarcerated peers, posing challenges to caring for prisoners who are chronically ill and dying. The goal of our study was to describe state prisons’ practices and policies addressing persons in prison with advanced chronic and life limiting illness through a national web-based survey of state-level prison health care professionals.
Coming to terms: Female veterans' experience of serious illness
02/03/24 at 03:35 AMComing to terms : Female veterans' experience of serious illnessJournal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, by Varilek, Brandon M. PhD, RN, PCCN-K, CCTC, CNE, CHPN; Varilek, Brandon M. PhD, RN, PCCN-K, CCTC, CNE, CHPN; Isaacson, Mary J. PhD, RN, RHNC, CHPN, FPCN; 1/16/24Female veteran populations are growing internationally and are more likely than men to develop certain serious illnesses, including some cancers. In the United States, fewer than 50% of eligible female veterans sought care at Veteran Affairs facilities. In addition, female veterans are not well represented within palliative care research, and little research exists that explores the female veteran experience of living with a serious illness. The purpose of this study was to explore female veterans' experiences of living with a serious illness.
Place of care in the last three years of life for Medicare beneficiaries
02/03/24 at 03:30 AMPlace of care in the last three years of life for Medicare beneficiariesBMC Geriatrics, by Haiqun Lin, Irina B. Grafova, Anum Zafar, Soko Setoguchi, Jason Roy, Fred A. Kobylarz, Ethan A. Halm & Olga F. Jarrín; 1/25/24Most older adults prefer aging in place; however, patients with advanced illness often need institutional care. Understanding place of care trajectory patterns may inform patient-centered care planning and health policy decisions. The purpose of this study was to characterize place of care trajectories during the last three years of life.
Family caregiver communication and perceptions of involvement in hospice care
02/03/24 at 03:25 AMFamily caregiver communication and perceptions of involvement in hospice careJournal of Palliative Medicine, by Archana Bharadwaj, Debra Parker Oliver, Karla T. Washington, Jacquelyn Benson, Kyle Pitzer, Patrick White, George Demiris; 1/24/24The burden of caregiving for family members is significant and becomes particularly challenging at end of life, with negative effects on mental health, including anxiety and depression. Research has shown caregivers need better communication with their health care team. Caregiver-centered communication was positively associated with perceptions of involvement in care.
Specialist palliative care use and end-of-life care in patients with metastatic cancer
02/03/24 at 03:20 AMSpecialist palliative care use and end-of-life care in patients with metastatic cancerJournal of Pain and Symptom Management, by May Hua MD, MS; Ling Guo MS; Caleb Ing MD, MS; Deven Lackraj MPH; Shuang Wang PhD; R. Sean Morrison MD; 1/24/24For patients with advanced cancer, high intensity treatment at the end of life is measured as a reflection of the quality of care. Use of specialist palliative care has been promoted to improve care quality, but whether its use is associated with decreased treatment intensity on a population-level is unknown. On a population-level, use of specialist palliative care was associated with improved metrics for quality end-of-life care for patients dying with metastatic cancer, underscoring the importance of its integration into cancer care.
Cost and utilization implications of a health plan's home-based palliative care program
02/03/24 at 03:15 AMCost and utilization implications of a health plan's home-based palliative care programJournal of Palliative Medicine, by Kimberly A. Bower, Jenelle Hallock, Xiaoli Li, Tyler Kent, Liane Wardlow; 1/25/24A California-based health plan offered home-based palliative care (HBPC) to members who needed support at home but did not yet qualify for hospice. Although individuals in both groups were living with serious illnesses for which worsening health and increased acute care utilization are expected over time, both groups had reduced acute care utilization and costs during the study period compared with the prestudy period. Reduced utilization and costs were equivalent for both groups.
Healthcare contact days among older adults living with dementia
02/03/24 at 03:10 AMHealthcare contact days among older adults living with dementiaJournal of the American Geriatrics Society, by Emma D. Chant PhD; Christine S. Ritchie MD, MSPH; E. John Orav PhD; Ishani Ganguli MD, MPH; 1/23/24For older adults with dementia and their care partners, accessing health care outside the home involves substantial time, direct and indirect costs, and other burdens. While prior studies have estimated days spent by these individuals in or out of hospitals and nursing homes, ambulatory care burdens are likely substantial yet poorly understand. Therefore, we characterized “health care contact days”—days spent receiving ambulatory or institutional care—in this population. Older adults with dementia spent 31 days a year accessing care which was mostly ambulatory.Publisher's note: Also see Health care contact days among older adults in Traditional Medicare.
Health care contact days among older adults in Traditional Medicare
02/03/24 at 03:05 AMHealth care contact days among older adults in Traditional MedicareAnnals of Internal Medicine, by Ishani Ganguli, MD, MPH; Emma D. Chant, PhD; E. John Orav, PhD; Ateev Mehrotra, MD, MPH; Christine S. Ritchie, MD, MSPH; 1/23/24Days spent obtaining health care outside the home can represent not only access to needed care but also substantial time, effort, and cost, especially for older adults and their care partners. Yet, these “health care contact days” have not been characterized. On average, older adults spent 3 weeks in the year getting care outside the home. These contact days were mostly ambulatory and varied widely not only by number of chronic conditions but also by sociodemographic factors, geography, and care-seeking behaviors.Publisher's note: Also see Healthcare contact days among older adults living with dementia.
Saturday Newsletters
02/03/24 at 03:00 AMSaturday NewslettersResearch literature is the focus of Saturday newsletters - enjoy!
New UMass Chan patient communication training simulation program receives funding via Catalyst Award
01/30/24 at 04:04 AMNew UMass Chan patient communication training simulation program receives funding via Catalyst AwardUMass Chan News, by Pat Sargent; 1/29/24The program, “Apology and Disclosure: Developing Competency for Patient Safety and Equity,” is led by Stacy E. Potts, MD, MEd, professor of family medicine & community health and senior associate dean for graduate medical education and clinical affairs; and Sunita Puri, MD, MS, associate professor of medicine and program director of the hospice and palliative medicine fellowship. ... The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Catalyst Award is for $50,000 over one year.
Criteria for enrollment of patients with COPD in palliative care trials: A systematic review
01/30/24 at 04:00 AMCriteria for enrollment of patients with COPD in palliative care trials: A systematic reviewJ Pain Symptom Manage, by Natalia Smirnova, Allison V Lange, Amanda Glickman, Kristen Desanto, Cara L McDermott , Donald R Sullivan, David B Bekelman, Dio Kavalieratos; 1/25/24Context: Use of palliative care interventions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has increased in recent years and inclusion criteria used to identify patients with COPD appropriate for palliative care vary widely. We evaluated the inclusion criteria to identify ways to improve enrollment opportunities for patients with COPD.
Will scandal at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute cause big damage?
01/30/24 at 04:00 AMWill scandal at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute cause big damage? Modern Healthcare, by Caroline Hudson; 1/29/24Allegations of data manipulation in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's research has sparked intense scrutiny of a long-revered pillar in cancer treatment and put its once-sparkling reputation into question. ... Retaining Dana-Farber's long-term standing and preserving its bottom line will depend on how fast the institute moves to control the fallout from a scandal that has made national headlines, marketing and risk management experts said.
Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Unveils Groundbreaking research by PFF scholars
01/29/24 at 04:00 AMGroundbreaking research by PFF scholarsPulminary Fibrosis Foundation; 1/22/24The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF), the nation’s leading pulmonary fibrosis research, advocacy, and education organization has announced five awardees for the 2023 cycle of PFF Scholars who will receive funding for their cutting-edge research. ... “The most recent PFF Scholars class is tackling some of the most urgent questions about pulmonary fibrosis,” said Scott Staszak, PFF Chief Operating Officer. “Our goal is to accelerate the Scholars’ research and support them in securing more substantial grants for their impactful work.”
Engaging forensic psychiatry patients in health-care decision making
01/27/24 at 03:35 AMEngaging forensic psychiatry patients in health-care decision makingThe Lancet - Psychiatry, by Junqiang Zhao, Helen Bolshaw-Walker, N Zoe Hilton; 1/15/24The forensic psychiatric system is a pivotal intersection between the criminal justice and psychiatry systems. When individuals commit criminal acts and are found not criminally responsible for their actions due to mental illness, or unfit to stand trial, they often receive psychiatric care in specialised hospitals or units. The aim of these facilities is not punitive, but restorative—to promote the recovery and successful reintegration of patients into communities.
The Better Care Plan: a blueprint for improving America's healthcare system
01/27/24 at 03:30 AMThe Better Care Plan: a blueprint for improving America's healthcare systemHealth Affairs Scholar, by Stephen M Shortell, John S Toussaint, George C Halvorson, Jon M Kingsdale, Richard M Scheffler, Allyson Y Schwartz, Peter A Wadsworth, Gail Wilensky; 7/23The United States falls far short of its potential for delivering care that is effective, efficient, safe, timely, patient-centered, and equitable. We put forward the Better Care Plan, an overarching blueprint to address the flaws in our current system. The plan calls for continuously improving care, moving all payers to risk-adjusted prospective payment, and creating national entities for collecting, analyzing, and reporting patient safety and quality-of-care outcomes data. A number of recommendations are made to achieve these goals.Publisher note: From "The Best of Health Affairs Scholar 2023".