Literature Review

Tele-palliative care benefits veterans with cardiac, pulmonary diseases Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/26/24 Patients with cardiac and pulmonary conditions see improvements in their quality of life after receiving palliative care via telehealth. A randomized clinical trial with 306 participants who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure (HF), and interstitial lung disease (ILD) found that palliative telehealth resulted in significant improvements. The results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Private equity more common in Massachusetts health care: Steward crisis has state on hunt for possible legislative response 22 News WWLP.com; by Ashley Shook, Alison Kuznitz, Chirs Lisinski; 3/26/24 The pressure points inflicted by private equity ownership in health care extend far beyond Steward Health Care, and lawmakers have a long menu of policy reforms they can consider to erect new guardrails in a changing environment, experts said Monday. Pushed into public-facing action after a long-simmering financial crisis at Steward burst into public view this year, lawmakers convened a public hearing to explore how deeply private equity has taken root in the Bay State’s health care system and what policymakers should do to prevent harm to patient care. 

Social Work Awareness Month: A spotlight of AOSW Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC); ACCBuzz Interview with Michael L. Grignon, AOSW President; 3/26/24AOSW is the world’s largest professional organization entirely dedicated to the psychosocial care of people affected by cancer. ...  In recognition of March as Social Work Month, ACCCBuzz spoke with AOSW president Michael L. Grignon, LMSW, CCM, MBA, about the importance of oncology social workers, and his vision for the Association during his tenure. ... Why is recognizing Social Work Month important? ...

Palliative care in the cardiovascular intensive care unit: A systematic review of current literatureCardiovascular Revascularization Medicine, by Agastya D Belur, Aryan Mehta, Mridul Bansal, Patrick M Wieruszewski, Rachna Kataria, Marwan Saad, Annaliese Clancy, Daniel J Levine, Neel R Sodha, Douglas M Burtt, Gregory S Rachu, J Dawn Abbott, Saraschandra Vallabhajosyula; 3/24/24, online ahead of print Results: Of 5711 citations, 30 studies were included. All studies were published in the last seven years and 90 % originated in the United States. Heart failure was the most frequent diagnosis (47 %), and in-hospital mortality was reported in 67 % of studies. There was heterogeneity in the timing, frequency, and background of the care team that determined palliative care consultation. In two randomized trials, there appeared to be improvement in quality of life without an impact on mortality.

Community convening aims to guide solutions to inequities in caregiving UMass Chan Medical School, by Susan E.W. Spencer; 3/26/24Jennifer Tjia, MD, MSCE, knows from her experience as a researcher and geriatrician how demanding the role of caregiver can be and how structural barriers impact patient outcomes. She wants to see research that drives solutions to health inequities. The second community convening of the Equity in Caregiving Project, a $3.8 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health, which Dr. Tjia, professor of population & quantitative health sciences, co-leads, aims to advance the conversation about what challenges family and clinical caregivers of people with serious illness are experiencing.

Harvard Thinking: Facing death with dignityThe Harvard Gazette, podcast and transcript; moderated by Samantha Laine Perfas; 3/27/24In podcast episode, a chaplain, a bioethicist, and a doctor talk about end-of-life care.

Medical marijuana patients report lasting quality of life benefits Forbes, by A.J. Herrington; 3/25/24 Medical marijuana patients report sustained improvements in quality of life, according to the results of a recently published study. ... The results showed that many of the patients experienced improvements in physical and social functioning, energy levels and emotional well-being within the first 30 days of using medical marijuana (MMJ). Patients also reported significant decreases in pain levels, fatigue and emotional limitations.

The grief you feel is realPsychology Today, by Rosemary K.M. Sword and Philip Zimbardo PhD; 3/25/24We might think grief is all the same. But there are many kinds. [This articles briefly identifies various kinds of grief, including the following:]

Full-time Las Vegas hospice employees working 32-hours a week. How does the nation compare? Fox 5 KVVU-TV, by Miles Friess and Nkiruka Azuka; 3/25/24Working four days a week, but getting paid for five. ... “This is a true four day work week,” said Owen Lawrie, one of the owners of Uplift Hospice.” It’s four [eight hour days], not four [ten hour days]. So it really is an extra 52 days off a year.” Uplift Hospice is a company that provides at-home hospice care. He says the schedule is not only beneficial to employees, but to their patients as well. “Because they are so appreciative of that extra day, the teamwork’s even better and then the quality of care just continues to be excellent,” he said.

Teamwork: Simply stated, it is less me and more we." - Anonymous

USF Health College of Nursing launches new Hospice and Palliative Care Graduate Certificate Program for nurses USF Health - University of South Florida; 3/25/24In response to the increasing need for skilled professionals in end-of-life care, USF Health College of Nursing has launched a graduate certificate program in Hospice and Palliative Care. This program will equip registered nurses with the education, training, and clinical hours required to take the Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN®) exam. The USF Health College of Nursing Hospice and Palliative Care Certificate is an online training program consisting of six courses taken over three semesters. 

Palliative care improves quality of life for bone marrow transplant patients Duke Health News & Media, by Alexis Porter; 3/25/24 ... Researchers tested the effectiveness of an integrated palliative care intervention across diverse settings. They enrolled 360 adults undergoing bone marrow transplants at three academic medical centers, including Duke University Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Fred Hutch Cancer Center at the University of Washington. ... Patients receiving the palliative care intervention reported better quality of life, defined by the degree to which an individual is healthy, comfortable, and able to participate in life events. They also had lower depression, PTSD and fatigue symptoms compared to those receiving usual care. 

Eisenhower Health purchases Neuro Vitality Center in Palm Springs [for new PACE Center] InvestorsObserver, PR Newswire; 3/25/24Made possible through generous philanthropic support, Eisenhower Health has purchased the Neuro Vitality Center (formerly the Stroke Recovery Center). In partnership with Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJHealth), Eisenhower will provide a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) at the former Neuro Vitality Center location. After a renovation, the site is expected to open with a new name and focus in the next 12 to 18 months. "Eisenhower Health is committed to addressing the long-term health care needs for low-income seniors through this new Center and PACE program," says Martin Massiello, President and Chief Executive Officer, Eisenhower Health.