Literature Review

The human cost of health care automation MedPageToday's KevinMD.com; by Christie Mulholland; 11/8/25 AI is rolling out in medicine faster than most of us can process. Ambient scribes documenting visits. Clinical decision support algorithms. Automated prior authorizations. The promises are compelling: reduced clerical burden, more face-time with patients, less burnout. I wanted this. As a palliative care doctor and director of physician well-being at my institution, ... [when] AI tools promised relief, I advocated for them. ... 

When hospice referrals are placed to improve acute care hospital mortality metricsJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; by Gina M Piscitello, Emily Martin, Gregg A Robbins-Welty, Ryan Baldeo, Joseph Shega, Michael T Huber; 10/25Risk-adjusted inpatient mortality is one way in which the quality of US acute care hospitals is assessed. While the specification of inpatient mortality measurements can vary, patients transitioned to general inpatient hospice (GIP) status are often excluded. GIP is one of four levels of hospice care intended for short-term inpatient management of uncontrolled symptoms that cannot be effectively managed in another setting. This care may be provided in acute care hospitals through partnerships with hospice agencies. As such, a patient may potentially be discharged from the hospital and enrolled in GIP in the same hospital location, even the same bed, and excluded from the hospital’s inpatient mortality measures.

BeyondTrust experts reveal top cybersecurity predictions for 2026 and beyond Albany CEO; Staff Report from Georgia CEO; 11/3/25 BeyondTrust ... today announced its top cybersecurity predictions for 2026 and beyond, identifying the trends that will redefine how organizations protect identities, secure data, and prepare for a rapidly evolving threat landscape. ... Cybersecurity Predictions for 2026+: Identity, AI, and Geopolitics Collide

Learning to love fax again, courtesy of AI Forbes - Innovation; by Jeffrey Sullivan; 10/29/25 ... While other industries have moved on to less secure email and messaging platforms, fax still reigns supreme in healthcare. In fact, a majority of healthcare organizations still lean on fax as a primary source of communication, according to a recent survey ... The problem is that while fax is still healthcare’s go-to for sending and receiving information, many organizations haven’t updated their fax processes to adapt to current healthcare workflows that prioritize digital tools like EMRs and patient portals over traditional paper-centric practices.

Hospice market expands at 9.6% CAGR, projected to hit USD 182.1 billion Market.Us Media; by Trishita Deb; 10/26/25 The Global Hospice Market is projected to reach USD 182.1 billion by 2033, growing from USD 72.8 billion in 2023 at a CAGR of 9.6%. ... Challenges:

Hospice of the Chesapeake and Partners In Care join to support aging communityHospice of the Chesapeake press release; by Elyzabeth Marcussen; 10/24/25Hospice of the Chesapeake is proud to announce that Partners In Care of Maryland, Inc., has officially joined its family of services under a newly formed umbrella organization, Chesapeake Health Partners... As Maryland’s largest independent nonprofit hospice organization, Hospice of the Chesapeake has been a trusted resource for individuals and families facing serious illness, helping them live each day with intention and peace. Partners In Care, a Maryland-based nonprofit, has built its legacy on helping older adults remain independent and engaged through its signature Service Exchange model where members help one another with transportation, handyman services, social connection and more.Note: This is in addition to Partnership Expands In-Home Palliative Care in Calvert County - Chesapeake Supportive Care (CSC), the palliative care arm of Hospice of the Chesapeake, is excited to announce a new partnership with Southern Maryland House Calls (SMHC), a trusted leader in home-based geriatric care, to enhance access to palliative care services for residents of Calvert County.

Hospice social worker and nurse perceptions of the usability of a hospice live discharge protocol (LDP)American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine; by Stephanie P. Wladkowski, Susan Enguídanos, Tracy A. Schroepfer; 9/25Live discharges from hospice are often distressing for patients, caregivers, and hospice providers alike, disrupting care continuity and leading to emotional and logistical challenges. Despite Medicare’s discharge planning requirement, no standardized process currently exists for hospice-initiated discharges, resulting in variable quality of care transitions.  An explicit Live Discharge Protocol has strong potential to enhance the quality and consistency of a live discharge from hospice care. The LDP provides a framework to help smooth the transition from hospice care and provides patients and families with post-discharge support. Feedback from hospice professionals affirmed the relevance and usability of each step within the LDP, while also identifying opportunities for refinement for future implementation.

LGBTQ+ history project: The need to preserve LGBTQ+ histories of rural America Watermark Out News; by Lauren Rowello; 10/14/25 ... Resources importantly emerged as people formally organized — bringing critical health care and hospice networks during the HIV/AIDS crisis, for instance, and launching LGBTQ+ voices into expansive advocacy careers. Across the US, some of the most impactful voices for change have come from rural regions. ... Editor's Note: For more on this interface with the birth of hospice care in the US, examine "The AIDS Epidemic’s Lasting Impact on Hospice Care for LGBTQ+ Populations," by Holly Vossel, Hospice News, 6/28/24. Pair these with today's post, "Inside the hospice that feels like home: How Omega House catches those who fall through the cracks." 

Tri Cities Chaplaincy in Kennewick undergoes $3M+ remodel Fox11-41, Kennewick, WA; by Eli Kern; 10/9/25 The Tri Cities Chaplaincy is undergoing a significant remodel, with a budget of more than $3 million. The hospice center, which has been serving the community since the early 1990s, is getting a much-needed upgrade. Laurie Jackson, CEO of Tri Cities Chaplaincy, shared her gratitude for the community’s continuous support. “We could not have built this in the first place were it not for community partnerships,” said Jackson. The hospice center has been providing care for 30 years, offering families a chance to be present with their loved ones rather than acting as caregivers. Jackson expressed appreciation for individuals like Tom Halazon, the former executive director who played a crucial role in the original project back in 1993. 

Microsoft tries to catch up in AI with healthcare push, Harvard dealThe Wall Street Journal; by Sebastian Herrera; 10/8/25  Microsoft has a lofty goal: to become an artificial-intelligence chatbot powerhouse in its own right rather than leaning on its partnership with the ChatGPT maker, OpenAI. ... A major update of Copilot scheduled for release as soon as this month will be the first to reflect a new collaboration between Microsoft and Harvard Medical School, people familiar with the matter said. The new version of Copilot will draw on information from the Harvard Health Publishing arm to respond to queries about healthcare topics. [access may be limited by a paywall]

Why 95% of AI rollouts fail and what L&D leaders can do about it Big Think+; 10/7/25 Companies are pouring resources into AI, yet capability gaps hold employees back from using it effectively. ... MIT recently reported that 95 percent of AI projects fail to deliver measurable outcomes. Despite the unprecedented investment, productivity gains are elusive, employee adoption is shaky, and the business case often collapses under scrutiny. How can we surround ourselves with the most powerful technology in human history, spend billions deploying it, and still struggle to prove it makes us better? The answer isn’t hiding in the models or the code. The real story and the real risk are sitting right in front of us. ... If you only push the tech, you’ll be part of the 95 percent of failures. If you only focus on people, you’ll underestimate what’s at stake. Success requires advancing both at the same time, with equal intentionality.

Chico nurses at Enloe Health to hold rally to protest closure of home health and hospice units National Nurses United; Press Release by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United; 10/1/25 ... Nurses are calling on the hospital to protect the health of some of Chico’s most vulnerable patients and maintain the essential services and end-of-life care provided by these units.  “For years, Enloe hospice stood alone in providing care for underserved Medi-Cal patients and for our youngest, most fragile patients—children at the end of life,” said Ruby Khoury, registered nurse in the hospice unit. “A vital, compassionate service is being taken away, and a hospital that once led with dignity and inclusivity in hospice care now faces a painful void. We nurses demand that the home health and hospice units remain open. Otherwise, the most vulnerable will suffer first: children, Medi-Cal patients, families without resources.”

Commentary: New York must act now to protect quality hospice care Times Union; by Cara Pace, Liz Krueger and Amy Paulin; 9/30/25 When your loved one is entering the final stage of their life, who would you rather manage their care: a nonprofit solely dedicated to providing the highest quality care possible? Or a private entity seeking to maximize profits? ... However, for-profit hospices now account for 70% of the market, up from 5% 35 years ago. This comes despite studies showing that for-profit hospices provide fewer essential services, employ less skilled staff, receive a higher volume of complaints and contribute less to their communities than their nonprofit counterparts. ... That's why we introduced legislation (S.3437/A.565) to prohibit the state from approving new applications for the establishment, construction or increased capacity of for-profit hospice entities. The two existing for-profit providers would not be touched, though their capacity to expand would be limited. The legislation now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature.Editor's Note: For-profit or non-profit status alone does not speak to the quality of care provided by the individual hospice. Some for-profits provide excellent care; some non-profits do not. This article speaks to evidence-based data, quality scores, patterns, trends, and cumulative results from CAHPS, HIS (which is being replaced by the HOPE Tool, effective today), and more. Examine quality scores in your services with the National Hospice Locator (ranked by scores), provided by National Hospice Analytics.