Literature Review

Flu cases continue to rise across the countryABC 6 News, Rochester, MN; by KAALTV; 2/10/25Flu cases are continuing to rise across the country as doctor visits for flu-like symptoms are now reaching their highest point in 15 years. The CDC estimates at least 24 million illnesses this flu season alone, with 13,000 turning deadly. Right now, about 31% of flu tests are coming back positive, nearly double the peak from last season. Doctors say your best line of defense is vaccination.Editor's note: We see this surge across news media sources, and compiled this state-specific list for you. 

16 states where virus activity remains high: 5 updates Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Alexandra Murphy; 1/27/25 The CDC is reporting high levels of respiratory virus activity across the U.S. While respiratory syncytial virus levels are beginning to peak in many areas of the country, flu-related emergency department visits are at very high levels and are still rising, according to the latest data. Thirteen states are experiencing "high" respiratory virus activity: Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Minnesota, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Hawaii and Washington, D.C. Three states are experiencing "very high" levels: New Hampshire, New Jersey and Wisconsin. [Click here for the CDC's "Respiratory Virus Activity Levels," with more detailed data and maps for all 50 states.]

How innovation is changing [hospital] length of stayHealthLeaders; by Eric Wicklund; 1/23/25 Allina Health is using technology and new ideas to reduce the time a patient spends in the hospital. They're seeing improved outcomes, reduced costs and more capacity to treat patients who need to be hospitalized.  One of the key metrics in clinical care is patient length of stay (LOS), traditionally defined as the time between a patient's admittance and discharge from a hospital. ... New technologies like AI and concepts like remote patient monitoring (RPM) and Hospital at Home are helping healthcare executives gain a better understanding of LOS, and in turn they're reducing costs and improving care management.Editor's note: How do these hospital technologies interesect with and impact your referrals for palliative and hospice referrals? For discharges to home health or senior facilities that receive care from your agency?

Transforming care: Spencer Health Solutions and Pharmerica partner to simplify medication management and improve lives The MarCom Journal, Morrisville, NC; by Leigh White, PharMerica and Daphne Earley, Spencer Health Solutions; 1/21/25In a move set to redefine how medication is managed, Spencer Health Solutions (SHS), a leader in innovative healthcare technology, and PharMerica, one of the nation’s largest and most trusted long-term care pharmacy services provider, are joining forces. This transformative partnership aims to make managing medications easier and more reliable for individuals with complex medication needs, senior living communities, and payers nationwide. ... Spencer Health Solutions (SHS) is dedicated to transforming medication management through innovative healthcare technology. ... PharMerica ... serves the long-term care, senior living, hospital, home infusion, hospice, behavioral, specialty and oncology pharmacy markets. 

Which health facilities have been impacted by L.A.-area fires? AI may paint a clearer picture DirectRelief; by Andrew Schroeder; 1/14/25 Geospatial AI and remote sensing advance health system impact analysis shows where facilities have been damaged or destroyed -- and where medical needs may be greatest. One of the most important factors for humanitarian responders in these types of large-scale disaster situations is to understand the effects on the formal health system, upon which most people — and vulnerable communities in particular — rely upon in their neighborhoods. Evaluation of the impact of disasters ... is traditionally a relatively slow and manually arduous process, involving extensive ground truth visitation by teams of assessment professionals. Speeding up this process without losing accuracy, while potentially improving the safety and efficiency of assessment teams, is among the more important analytical efforts Direct Relief can undertake for response and recovery efforts.

Caregiver confessions: ‘How much more can we take?’ New York Magazine - The Cut - Family; as told to Paula Aceves and David mack; 1/13/25 Eleven people who care for aging and sick relatives share their fears, resentments, and guilt. “Where did those ten years ago?”: the daughter struggling to make ends meet while caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s. I never left home, like a good Cuban. My dad died when I was 9, and my mom never remarried, so I always felt a responsibility for her as her only child, especially since I’m not married and don’t have children of my own. [Click on the title's link to read this and other caregiver stories.]

Top Modern Healthcare stories of 2024 Modern Healthcare; by Mary Ellen Podmolik; 12/31/24 Ups and downs in healthcare kept Modern Healthcare reporters plenty busy in 2024, and 2025 is shaping up as a critical year for the industry, particularly as a new administration takes over in Washington, D.C. Our reporters this year did what Modern Healthcare excels at — bringing readers the news along with the context and analysis our audience needs to stay ahead. Get ready for 2025 by catching up on some hot topics during 2024.

4 Benefits of palliative care at home: Personalized and coordinated medical care at home increases quality of life Psychology Today; by Bob Uslander, MD; 12/20/24 ... More than six million people in the U.S. could benefit from palliative care, and, according to the Center to Advance Palliative Care, thousands received it at home last year. Research shows that being cared for at home enhances quality of life because it is usually consistent with one’s life goals. ... 4 Benefits Palliative Care at Home Provides: ...

How UCSF Health is rebuilding an 'instrumental' management layer Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 12/17/24Middle managers have long played a crucial role in industries across the U.S. However, a November article from global management consulting firm Korn Ferry describes "a disappearing layer of middle management," particularly among professional-service firms that are "delayering" to improve flexibility and responsiveness. ...  [Data] shows that in 2023, middle managers accounted for 31.5% of all layoffs, with an average of 22% between 2018 and 2022. While Mitul Modi, Korn Ferry senior client partner in the firm's global healthcare services practice, said layoffs of managers have occurred at various health systems in 2024, he told Becker's he is not seeing this occur with patient-facing roles. Instead, he has observed an increased emphasis on developing middle managers. ... One example of this is San Francisco-based UCSF Health. ... UCSF Health's efforts center around investing in a management core training program.[Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Health gap at end of life is now wider in US than any other country Science Alert - Health; by Carly Cassella; 12/16/24 A data-crunching survey covering 183 member nations of the World Health Organization has now confirmed what some scientists feared: while years are being added to most people's lives, healthy life is not being added to most people's year. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that people around the world in 2019 were living 9.6 years of life burdened by disability or disease – an increase of 13 percent from 2000. In that same time frame, global life expectancy has increased 6.5 years, and yet health-adjusted life expectancy has only increased 5.4 years. In the US, the gap between lifespan and 'healthspan' is growing particularly wide. Between 2000 and 2019, life expectancy in the US increased from 79.2 to 80.7 years for women, and from 74.1 to 76.3 years for men. When adjusting for healthy years of added life, however, the span only increased by 0.6 years among men. And among women, while health-adjusted life expectancy fluctuated slightly over time, in 2019 it matched the figure seen in 2000. The expanding gap means if an American woman lived to the expected 80.7 years of age, the last 12.4 years of her life would on average be impacted by disease or disability.

Characteristics of patients enrolled in hospice presenting to the emergency department American Journal of Emergency Medicine; by Kayla P Carpenter, Fernanda Bellolio, Cory Ingram, Aaron B Klassen, Sarayna S McGuire, Alisha A Morgan, Aidan F Mullan, Alexander D Ginsburg; 12/9/24, online ahead of print Emergency Departments (EDs) frequently care for patients with life-limiting illnesses, with nearly 1 in 5 patients enrolled in hospice presenting to an ED during their hospice enrollment. This study investigates the reasons patients enrolled in hospice seek care in the ED, the interventions they receive, and their outcomes. ... Patients enrolled in hospice most frequently presented to the ED for trauma [36%; with 15% for pain, 12% for catheter/tube malfunction]. Most received laboratory studies and imaging. Nearly half of patients were admitted to the hospital and short-term mortality was high, particularly for patients enrolled in hospice for needs for ED care? Ie.,

Redefining acute virtual care for overburdened health systemsJAMA Network Open; Michael J. Maniaci, MD; Richard D. Rothman, MD; Jessica A. Hohman, MD; 11/24Over the past decade, the concept of delivering acute hospital-level care in the home has gained traction, particularly with advances in telemedicine and remote patient monitoring. This retrospective cohort study compared the outcomes of 876 patients who received acute virtual care at home with outcomes of 1590 patients who were treated using traditional in-hospital care for similar conditions. The study found that the Safer@Home patients spent a mean of 4 fewer days in the hospital (1.3 vs 5.3 days), without a significant increase in 30-day readmission or mortality rates. This all-virtual model effectively avoided the use of 3505 bed-days without compromising safety, both making this an impactful exploration of alternatives to traditional inpatient care as well as offering a promising alternative for underresourced health systems unable to support in-home care.