Research study participation, 5/31/25

Research study participation, 5/31/25

1. Hospice and home-based palliative care for patients with Opioid Use Disorder. Emory University is conducting an important survey on Hospice and Home-Based Palliative Care for Patients with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and is seeking input from nurses, physicians, and leadership in hospice and palliative care.
2. Assessment of understanding and use of music therapy. We are a group of providers (palliative care physicians, music therapists, and researchers from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions) studying palliative care provider awareness and understanding of music therapy. Research has demonstrated that music therapy may help to reduce pain, improve psychosocial wellbeing, and facilitate symptom management in palliative care. This research survey aims to identify current knowledge and knowledge gaps held by palliative care providers related to provision of music therapy services in palliative care in the United States.
3. High-quality hospice care for all patients. Shannon Walsh, a doctoral researcher at the RAND Corporation and the RAND Graduate School of Public Policy, is conducting a study on how hospice ownership structures impact the delivery of care for patients, with particular examination of how care differs for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). The study uses Medicare data and interviews with informal caregivers to explore care quality, caregiver experience, and access to services – particularly within for-profit hospices, including those affiliated with private equity firms. For-profit hospice organizations are invited to participate and will be asked to help connect Ms. Walsh with bereaved family caregivers of patients who received hospice care in the past two years. Once the hospice identifies potential caregivers, Ms. Walsh will present the study to them and ask caregivers to participate in a confidential, one-hour phone interview.