Relearning the world through grief-informed case formulation: A critique of prolonged grief disorder 
Journal of Humanistic Psychology; by Eleonora Ramsby Herrera, PhD; 1/31/26 
Drawing on existential and humanistic frameworks, this review article critically examines the diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder and questions the usefulness of reducing grieving to a fixed set of symptoms and timelines. ... Rather than viewing grief as a disorder to be treated, the article advocates for understanding it as a natural and potentially transformative human response and argues for integrating grief into the bereaved person’s life story as a way to relearn the world.

A qualitative study with patients, care-partners, clinicians, and bioethicists to identify ethical considerations of artificial intelligence tools in palliative care
Palliative Medicine; by John Y. Rhee, Paul Miller, Zachary Tentor, Amanda Reich, Alexi A. Wright, Charlotta Lindvall; 1/26
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine has surged. Given the sensitive nature of palliative care, it is crucial to apply AI tools in a patient-centered and ethical manner. From the interviews we extracted five main themes: (1) Primacy of the doctor-patient relationship over AI performance; (2) Humans have intuition and nuance that AI lacks; (3) Agreement about the importance of oversight of AI tools; (4) New AI technologies should include a process for patient education; and (5) AI increases efficiency, scalability, and a more unified approach to serious illness. When building and implementing AI-based tools, we recommend: establishing oversight committees; reflecting on the unique contributions of humans to care; proactively educating patients and contextualizing the tools; and ensuring data use is restricted to clinical care.

The roboagents are coming!: The promise and challenge of artificial intelligence advance directives
The Hastings Center Report; by Jacob M Appel; Jan-Feb 2026
Advance directives have historically relied upon human agents. But what happens when a patient appoints an artificial intelligence system as an agent? This essay introduces the idea of roboagents-chatbots authorized to make medical decisions when individuals lose capacity. After describing potential models, including a personal AI companion and a chatbot that has not been trained on a patient's values and preferences, the essay explores the ethical tensions these roboagents generate regarding autonomy, bias, consent, family trust, and physician well-being. This essay then calls for legal clarity and ethical guidance regarding the status of roboagents in light of their potential as alternative health care agents.

Palliative care utilization and timing for patients undergoing solid organ transplantation in a large multicenter cohort
Transplantation; by Matthew W Kenaston, Ryan Baldeo, Tyler K Murphy; 1/26
Palliative care ... referrals in transplant programs are infrequent, often reactive, and the benefits remain unclear. We retrospectively studied 12,676 heart, liver, lung, and kidney transplants across 3 Mayo Clinic sites (2018-2024). PC encounters were classified as pretransplant (≤1 y before admission), peritransplant (during hospitalization), or posttransplant (≤1 y after discharge). Only 8.3% engaged PC, with patterns varying by organ and timing. Timing of inpatient consultation showed a strong positive correlation with hospital length of stay, and pretransplant PC coincided with higher rates of goals-of-care discussions and fewer hospital interventions. Adapting screening criteria to focus on high-risk recipients, PC was associated with fewer short-term readmissions for heart and lung recipients.

Trends and disparities in left ventricular failure mortality in The United States: A 1999-2020 analysis
Journal of Cardiac Failure; by Abdalhakim Shubietah, Hasan Munshi, Emmanuel Olumuyide, Muath Baniowda, Abdallah Hussein, Mohammad Alqadi, Qutaiba Qafisheh, Majd Oweidat, Omar Hamadi, Mohammad O Abdelhafez; 1/26 
Left ventricular failure (LVF) is a significant cause of cardiovascular mortality in the United States. Despite advances in heart failure management, mortality rates have shown a notable increase over time, particularly in recent years. This study examines trends and disparities in LVF-related mortality using data from the CDC WONDER database from 1999 to 2020. LVF-related mortality has increased significantly over the past two decades, particularly after 2010, highlighting a growing public health concern. Disparities persist across sex, race, age groups, urbanization, and geographic regions. The high burden of deaths outside medical facilities suggests a need for enhanced outpatient and palliative care strategies.

"The best, most difficult thing I've ever done": The complex experiences of palliative and hospice familial caregivers
American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care; by Hannah Rachiele, Kathryn Levy, Gina Schuster, Sheila Conboy, Pei C Grant, Christopher W Kerr; 2/26
Caring for chronically or terminally ill individuals comes with unique challenges and circumstances that are specific to each situation and individual involved. The purpose of the current study was to better elucidate the scope of challenges and benefits attributed to caring for a loved one with a serious, life-limiting illness. Four main themes emerged: (1) Burdens on the Caregiver, (2) Navigating Caregiving, (3) The Positives, and (4) Evolution of Relationships. Findings suggest that family caregivers of individuals with terminal or life-limiting illness experience complex, and often contradictory feelings, which may differ from perceptions by those not providing similar care to a loved one. The data suggest that clinicians working with the caregiving population should explore the duality of caregiving beyond just the anticipated negative impacts.

[Colombia] Early palliative care integration in end-stage liver disease: A narrative review of clinical strategies for symptom control and quality of life
Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy; by Daniela Sarria-Gómez, Cristhian Camilo Martínez Torres, Diana Estrada-Bermúdez, Liliana Saavedra; 1/26
End-stage liver disease (ESLD) is associated with a high symptom burden, poor prognosis, and limited access to curative disease. Despite growing evidence supporting the role of palliative care (PC), its integration into the routine management of ESLD remains limited and inconsistent. Key barriers to PC implementation include misconceptions about its use being limited to terminal phases, lack of referral criteria, and insufficient coordination between specialties. Evidence shows that early PC involvement improves symptom control (pain, dyspnea, pruritus, encephalopathy), decreases avoidable hospitalizations, and facilitates shared decision-making.

[Spain] End-of-life preparedness and emotional suffering in patients and caregivers: Findings from an international cohort study spanning the period before and after death
Palliative Medicine; by Clément Meier, Verónica Inés Veloso, Bélen Carballo, Eva Víbora Martín, Pilar Barnestein-Fonseca, Dröfn Birgisdóttir, Valgerður Sigurðardóttir, Ida Korfage, Agnes van der Heide, Vilma A Tripodoro; 1/26
Preparing for the end of life is believed to help mitigate emotional suffering for both patients and their caregivers. This study uses data from the international iLIVE project to examine how perceived end-of-life preparedness is associated with emotional suffering among patients and their caregivers before and after death. Feeling fully prepared for the end of life was significantly associated with lower levels of emotional suffering for both patients and caregivers. Among patients, preparedness was linked to reduced emotional suffering at baseline and follow-up. For caregivers, these associations were even more pronounced at baseline, follow-up, and after the patient's death.

The thing about Black history is that the truth is so much more complex than anything you could make up. ~ Henry Louis Gates