Literature Review

Increasing longevity, decreasing health quality: A close look at American health trendsBNN, by Ayesha Mumtaz; 1/16/24Recent data paints a concerning picture of Americans’ health despite an increase in longevity. While people are living longer, the quality of their health during these extended years is deteriorating. 

Top home care trends for 2024Home Health Care News, by Andrew Donlan; 1/9/24The rising costs of care in home care remain a trend in 2024. That one trend will also lead to others, however, such as increased M&A, adoption of future-facing technologies like AI, and further investment in tangential service lines and alternative payer sources.

CDC map shows dramatic increase in illness nationwide: See where it’s worstNexstar Media Wire News / The Hill, by Alix Martichoux; 1/5/24What a difference a week can make. New data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday shows an 18% jump in people testing positive for influenza last week. The number of people going to the doctor with symptoms of respiratory illness — whether it be the flu, COVID, RSV, or none of the above — also continues to trend upward. Now, according to the CDC, 21 states and New York City are experiencing “very high” levels of sickness.

Hospice care advocate aims to increase awareness, reduce stigma surrounding industryMcKnights Home Care, by Foster Stubbs; 1/8/24“I think we all know that the population over age 65 in the United States is growing at a rapid pace,” Thomson, DO and chief medical officer of Four Seasons, a nonprofit hospice and palliative care provider serving 13 western North Carolina counties, told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. ... However, Thomson understands that the scrutiny hospice care can receive may drive families away from considering it as an option. She has used her position on the public policy committee at the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine to help create effective vetting and regulatory procedures for the hospice industry. She believes more thorough regulation will ensure fewer bad actors. 

The Wall Street Journal: Exclusive: Cigna nears deal to offload Medicare businessThe Wall Street Journal, by Laura Cooper, Anna Wilde Mathews and Lauren Thomas; 1/3/24Cigna is in advanced talks to sell its Medicare business in an about-face for the health-insurance giant, which had been expanding its footprint in the fast-growing sector. Cigna, which has been running an auction for the business, known as Medicare Advantage, is now in exclusive talks to sell it to Health Care Service Corp. for between $3 billion and $4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. Editor's Note: Access to the full article requires a subscription to The Wall Street Journal

The impact of Artificial Intelligence on healthcare and medicineMedium/Technology Buzz, by Mark R.; 1/3/24... Artificial intelligence, or intelligence dominated by machines and algorithms, has a growing significance in multiple industries. From finance to education and healthcare, AI has completely reformed the ways of working. One of the significant contributions of AI is to the healthcare and medical industry. From improving diagnostic accuracy to personalizing the treatments for patients, AI has revolutionized the structure of healthcare facilities. By analyzing complex human data and drawing accurate conclusions without much human intervention, AI technology can help medical researchers make new discoveries. AI applications are primarily centered on 3 main investment areas: diagnostics, engagement, and digitization.Editor's Note: For pro's and con's of AI in hospice and palliative care, examine other articles about AI posted in our newsletter (past and future).

Amedisys Finds Answer Key in Medalogix PulsePRNewswire, 12/28/23Nashville, TN—Medalogix, the leading data science and clinical decision support company specializing in the advancement of patient care in home health, hospice, and strategic payor initiatives in the home, and Amedisys, a leading provider of home health, hospice and high-acuity care in the home, announced an expanded partnership with the implementation of Medalogix Pulse for Home Health patients.

Pohai Malama Adult Residential Care Home hosts open houseHawaii Tribune-Herald (Hilo, HI)December 25, 2023Hilo, HI—After closing its doors to inpatient services last year, Pohai Malama will be reopening as an adult residential care home beginning next year. Hawaii Care Choices, formerly Hospice of Hilo, earlier this month announced the opening of the Pohai Malama Adult Residential Care Home to a room full of board members, supporters and community leaders. The former 12-bed hospice and palliative care inpatient facility, located at 590 Kapiolani St. in Hilo, was closed in November 2022 after operating for 10 years due to changing preferences from patients, many who preferred to be treated in their homes. 

LCHD head defends hospice program budgetPen City Current (Fort Madison, IA)December 19, 2023Fort Madison, IA—It would appear that a push by some on the Lee County Board of Supervisors to get out of the hospice business is at a stand still. At Monday’s regular meeting of the board, Keokuk resident Mary Jo Reisberg and an employee of the health department advocated for the county staying in the hospice business to make sure that every county resident has a choice for care. ... Several members of the board, including Chairman Garry Seyb, said they don’t think the county should be engaged in business that competes with private for-profit companies. 

The Language of Hospice Can Help Us Get Better at Discussing DeathTIMEDecember 18, 2023Just because death is inevitable doesn’t make it easy or natural to talk about. In a new study, researchers wondered if hospice workers—experts in end-of-life care—had lessons to teach the rest of us when it came to speaking with patients and families about death. Daniel Menchik, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Arizona who studies the use of language in different fields of medicine, spent eight months sitting in on team meetings at a hospice care facility that were also open to patients’ families. ... In the study, Menchik noticed that hospice workers used three different types of verbs in meetings with family members: predictive, subjunctive, and imperative. Predictive verbs are used to assert things about the future and include words like “will” and “going to.” Imperative verbs carry a similar firmness, but include a call to action; the most common one Menchik encounters in medical settings is “should.” Subjunctive verbs convey some sort of personal stance when talking about the future. “Think,” “feel,” “want,” and many other expressive phrases fall in this category. When a family starts hospice care, “their capabilities to engage in intense conversations [about death] are usually pretty limited,” Menchik says. But he believes that hospice workers help bridge that gap by minimizing their use of imperative verbs. In meetings he observed, imperative verbs made up just 17% of the verb phrases used by hospice professionals. That’s fairly uncommon in medicine. Editor's Note: Use this article to examine the language used in your team meetings; to strengthen your orientation of employees from non-hospice settings; to engage your admissions nurses in a lively dialogue about its applicability to their experiences with patients and families.

Home Health & Hospice Care Reopens Renovated Inpatient CenterHospice NewsDecember 13, 2023fMerrimack, NH—Home Health & Hospice Care has reopened its inpatient facility in New Hampshire after expanding with a new addition. The Community Hospice House opened in November and serves patients in Merrimack, New Hampshire. ... All told, the hospice anticipates serving more than 600 patients annually at the center going forward, HHHC President and CEO Barbara Lafrance told local news.

VyncaCare CEO Schulte—Redesign Serious Illness Care for Patients’ Changing NeedsHospice NewsDecember 12, 2023The needs of today’s seriously ill patients necessitates the development of new, longitudinal care models that integrate the patient-centered principles of hospice and palliative care, Dr. Darren Schulte, CEO of VyncaCare, told Hospice News. Vynca launched as an advance care planning technology platform and expanded into the palliative care provider space through its 2021 acquisition of California-based Resolution Care. 

Hospice CEO, Chief Compliance Officer Collaborations Key to QualityHospice NewsDecember 11, 2023The lines of communication between hospice leaders and compliance executives need to be open and transparent in today’s regulatory environment. ... The ability to both understand and navigate shifts in regulations requires a solid relationship between a hospice executive team and its compliance leaders, according to Avow Hospice President and CEO Jaysen Roa. To achieve this, compliance and senior executive teams should foster interlocking collaboration and careful communication, he stated in a recent Husch Blackwell podcast. “It’s having compliance be part of the fabric,” Roa said. “Whether it is redoing some policies and procedures, looking at our code of ethics or how we respond to audits ... it’s all these things that can be esoteric to us [leaders]. When speaking to peers, whether it’s the C-suite, leadership teams or the board, [it’s doing] it in a way where it’s relatable and they understand not only why it’s important, but also the impact of why we’re readying for this. [If] we’re not constantly learning, then that’s a problem—especially in an industry like ours where it’s dynamic and changing every single day.” ... Strong ties between compliance and executive teams are crucial, according to [Chief Compliance Officer and Senior Vice President of Engagement, Kerri Ervin] Ervin. Having honest and transparent communication between compliance officers and hospice executives is key, she said.