Literature Review

Comment on the 2025 Global Map of Palliative Care: Data clarity and consistencyJournal of Pain & Symptom Management; by Guangwei Ji, Jin Ke, Fei Sun; 12/25We read with great interest the findings from the "First-Ever Global Ranking of Palliative Care: 2025 World Map Under the New WHO Framework" published in November 2025. As the first comprehensive review post the COVID-19 pandemic, this article provides an updated mapping of palliative care development worldwide. The use of a new WHO framework in 201 countries and territories, offers an invaluable overview on the global state of palliative care, particularly inspirational for countries that are launching palliative care policies or programs.

Concurrent care and equity: Addressing palliative care gaps for African American men in rural communities with a serious respiratory illnessAmerican Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine; by Cathy L. Campbell; 12/25Hospice and palliative care are often hard to access for African Americans (AA) living in rural areas with serious respiratory illnesses. Under the Medicare Hospice Benefit, patients must stop curative or life-sustaining treatments for their terminal illness, which limits options for concurrent care. This is a major challenge for AA men, whose average life expectancy is 67.8 years—about 10 years shorter than the national average. They also experience more care transitions in the last 6 months of life compared to White and Hispanic patients. These frequent transitions show how fragmented the health system is and how it often fails AA families. Using intersectionality and a vignette, this paper explores how overlapping factors—lived experience as AA man, rural location, and serious illness—affect access to palliative care.

A qualitative study of chaplains spiritual care for persons with dementia in long-term careJournal of Applied Gerontology; by Meganne K. Masko, Sarah McEvoy, Jung Kwak, Kathryn Lyndes, Alexia M. Torke, Shelley Varner Perez, George Fitchett; 12/25This study explored how chaplains provide spiritual care for residents with dementia in long-term care, which is not well understood. We conducted six separate semi-structured focus groups with a total of 16 chaplains who provide care for people with dementia in long-term care facilities across the U.S. Two main themes emerged: the broad and multifaceted role of chaplains in long-term care, including responsibilities to residents, staff, and family, and dementia-specific spiritual care adaptations and delivery practices, including learning through experience, using multisensory tools, relying on presence, music, and emotional resonance. Chaplains’ adaptive, person-centered spiritual care for residents with dementia highlights the need for dementia-informed chaplaincy training and greater integration of chaplaincy into interdisciplinary care planning in long-term care settings.

[Australia] Cancer and dementia incidence are strongly correlated worldwide: Evidence from cross-national regression analysesFuture Science OA; by Wenpeng You, Brendon J Coventry, Maciej Henneberg; 12/25Cancer and dementia are two major health problems affecting millions of people around the world. Countries with higher cancer rates almost always have higher dementia rates. Even after we accounted for income, life expectancy, and other social factors, cancer remained one of the strongest predictors of dementia. These findings suggest that cancer and dementia share many of the same underlying causes, such as aging, chronic inflammation, lifestyle habits, and changes that come with economic development. Understanding these shared patterns can help countries plan for future healthcare needs.

Evaluating palliative care needs in patients with advanced non-malignant chronic conditions: An umbrella review of needs assessment tools Healthcare; by Chrysovalantis Karagkounis, Stephen Connor, Danai Papadatou, Thalia Bellali; 12/24/25 Patients with advanced non-malignant chronic conditions experience illness burdens and palliative care needs comparable to those of oncology patients, yet palliative care is often introduced late. Identifying individuals with potential palliative care needs is complex, and although multiple tools exist, the most appropriate approach for assessing needs in this population remains unclear. This umbrella review aimed to identify and evaluate tools used to systematically assess palliative care in adults with advanced non-malignant chronic conditions, with a specific focus on their content, structure, and psychometric properties.

Executive Personnel Changes - 1/30/26

[Netherlands] Pediatric advance care planning: a mixed-methods evaluation of documentation and sharing in current practice BMC Palliative Care; by Sophie Tooten, Rosella P.M.G. Hermens, Manel Verhoeven, Ellen M. Vierhoven, Fatima Boulakhrif, Jana M. Reintjes, Michel A.A.P. Willemsen, Judith L. Aris-Meijer, Jurrianne C. Fahner, Marijanne Engel, Marijke C. Kars, Inge M.L. Ahout & Esther Deuning-Smit; 1/29/26 Pediatric advance care planning (pACP) aims to align future care and treatment of children with life-limiting conditions (LLCs) with children’s and their families’ values, goals and preferences. Documenting and sharing pACP elements with healthcare professionals (HCPs) is essential for goal-concordant care. This study evaluates how pACP elements are documented in electronic health records of children with LLCs and shared with other HCPs.

For your 360-degree feedback to be effective, you need to discuss it Harvard Business Review; by Brenda Steinberg; 1/28/2660-degree feedback alone does not improve leadership effectiveness. Meaningful change will only happen if you engage directly with your colleagues to learn more about what you could do better. How do you have these conversations? Start by expressing gratitude to feedback providers. Ensure you move beyond your assumptions and approach them with curiosity. Then engage in candid conversation, sharing your takeaways, asking questions that prompt explanation not justification, focusing on impact not intent, listening without committing, and avoiding defensiveness. Finally, maintain an ongoing dialogue about the actions you intend to take and your progress.

Lower Cape Fear LifeCare launches palliative care clinic in Lumberton Lower Cape Fear LifeCare, Lumberton, NC; by Staff Report; 1/29/26 Beginning in early March, Lower Cape Fear LifeCare will launch a new palliative care clinic in partnership with UNC Health Southeastern. This first-of-its-kind clinic in Robeson County will initially operate one half-day per week, with plans to expand availability as patient demand grows. The program supports patients at any stage of serious illness, providing an extra layer of support alongside curative treatment. Services focus on relief from pain and symptoms, emotional and spiritual support, and guidance for patients and families navigating complex medical decisions.

VITAS Healthcare to be featured on CNBC's Now We Know! with Steve Guttenberg – airing January 31 1045 TheDan.com, Delray Beach, FL; by Now We Know!; 1/29/26The upcoming episode of Now We Know! with Steve Guttenberg, airing Saturday, January 31 at 11a ET on CNBC, will feature VITAS Healthcare, the nation’s leader in hospice and palliative care dedicated to improving quality of life for seriously ill patients and their families. ... Hosted by actor, author, and businessman, Steve Guttenberg, this unique platform inspires the next generation of knowledge seekers and viewers around the country. 

Fly fishing support group provides new angle on grief processing: The grieving can find peace in the rhythm of fishingTimes Courier, Ellijay, GA; by Jackson Elliott; 1/28/26 Few people understand grief like a hospice chaplain. “I’ve experienced about 5,000 deaths,” former hospice chaplain Rick Gillert said. “And I’ve helped those families and patients through the grieving process." “‘I had this idea in the back of my head of combining professional grief care with fly fishing,” he said. During his time as a hospice chaplain, he would often seek peace from the difficulty of the work by going fishing the next day. “I can almost imagine my anxieties, my worries as leaves falling on the water and washing away,” Gillert said. In his program, clients join a group and go through a 10-week course on fly fishing, processing grief and coping skills.