Literature Review

How people with disabilities make a positive impact in the workplaceForbes, by Diane Winiarski; 1/30/24The advantages that people with disabilities bring to their employers are many and varied – from higher revenue and enhanced productivity, to a more positive and supportive environment.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issues rule: Medicare Program; Calendar Year (CY) 2024 Home Health (HH) Prospective Payment System rate update; HH Quality Reporting Program requirements; HH ...Department of Health and Human Services, by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 1/31/24SUMMARY: This document corrects technical errors in the final rule that appeared in the November 13, 2023 Federal Register titled "Medicare Program; Calendar Year (CY) 2024 Home Health (HH) Prospective Payment System Rate Update; HH Quality Reporting Program Requirements; HH Value-Based Purchasing Expanded Model Requirements; Home Intravenous Immune Globulin Items and Services; Hospice Informal Dispute Resolution and Special Focus Program Requirements, Certain Requirements for Durable Medical Equipment Prosthetics and Orthotics Supplies; and Provider and Supplier Enrollment Requirements'' (referred to hereafter as the "CY 2024 HH PPS final rule"). Effective date: This correcting document is effective January 31, 2024

The healing power of remembering and recordingLocalTownPages - Franklin; 1/30/24Every person on this earth holds space in the lives of those around them. We fill that space with our voices, talents, wisdom, laughter, touch, beliefs, innovations, style, and even occasionally with our struggles. Each human experience is unique and varied, complex and beautiful.

Worcester hospital nurses file complaints over 'dangerous conditions' MassLive.com, by Susannah Sudborough; 1/30/24Nurses at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester have filed official complaints with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and other state agencies over “dangerous conditions” they say are jeopardizing patient safety, the state’s largest nurse’s union announced Tuesday. The complaints are based on over 500 reports made by nurses over the last six months that detail issues such as staffing deficiencies and poor allocation of technology, the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), which represents the nurses, said in a press release.

Video raises concerns about a father’s final days in senior care homeThe Atlanta-Journal Constitution Online, by Allie Gross; 1/30/24A 78-year-old veteran's final days at a Georgia senior care home, Savannah Court of Lake Oconee, raise troubling questions about care at the facility and the state's oversight. The new concerns come as the facility faces possible closure with a second license revocation hearing scheduled for Jan. 30, 2024.

Psychedelic therapy debate returns to Missouri General AssemblyMissouri Independent, by Rebecca Rivas; 1/30/24Numerous clinical studies nationwide have shown positive results from using psilocybin to treat PTSD, depressiona and substance use. Republican lawmakers are once again pushing legislation that would require Missouri to conduct a clinical study on using psilocybin, more commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms,” to treat depression, substance use or as part end-of-life care. ... In the House Veterans Committee on Tuesday, Republican Rep. Aaron McMullen of Independence plans to present an amended version of the bill that would limit its scope to only veterans. The suicide rate among veterans in Missouri is nearly double the state rate and one of the highest in the country. ... McMullen, a veteran who served in a combat unit in Afghanistan, told The Independent, “While psilocybin is not a panacea for every issue, it represents a first true scientifically-validated hope that we have to address this crisis.”

Hospice fraud back in the spotlight, with new data also raising questions about home health careHome Health Care News, by Robert Holly; 1/30/24The number of hospice providers enrolled in the Medicare program in four states has skyrocketed over the past few years. The jaw-dropping spike, in turn, has triggered increased oversight efforts – some of which may not be having the desired effect. A similar trend could be happening in home health care in one major county, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data suggests. In hospice, the surge of new providers and potentially fraudulent activities has been concentrated in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas. In home health care, it’s Los Angeles County.

Predictors of early hospice or death in patients with inoperable lung cancer treated with curative intentClin Lung Cancer, by Siddharth Ramanathan, Kimberly A Hochstedler, Anna M Laucis, Benjamin Movsas, Craig W Stevens, Larry L Kestin, Michael M Dominello, Inga S Grills, Martha Matuszak, James Hayman, Peter A Paximadis, Matthew J Schipper, Shruti Jolly, Thomas P Boike; Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium; NCBI published 1/31/24Introduction: Treatment for inoperable stage II to III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) involves chemo-radiotherapy (CRT). However, some patients transition to hospice or die early during their treatment course. We present a model to prognosticate early poor outcomes in NSCLC patients treated with curative-intent CRT.

More Quebecers donated organs after MAID but Canada needs standardized data: studyThe Canadian Press, by Camille Bains; 1/29/24Quebec researchers say organ donation appears to be increasing among people who received an assisted death but they're calling for greater collaboration to support those who choose to give, along with respect for their autonomy and dignity.

Ethical issues in pain and palliationCurr Opin Anaesthesiol, by Marco Cascella, Alessandro Laudani, Giuliana Scarpati, Ornella Piazza; 1/30/24Summary: Palliative care in the ICU should involve a multidisciplinary team, to mitigate patients suffering and futility. Providing spiritual support in the ICU is an important aspect of holistic patient care too. Increasingly sophisticated tools for diagnosing and treating pain, as those involving artificial intelligence, might favour disparities in access, cause informed consent problems, and surely, they need prudence and reproducibility. Pain clinicians worldwide continue to face the ethical dilemma of prescribing opioids for patients with chronic noncancer pain. Balancing the need for effective pain relief with the risk of opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose is a very controversial task.

Adventist Health re-establishes in-home and hospice care in Paradise and Butte CountyKRCR TV, by Hannah Gutierrez; 1/23/24PARADISE, Calif. — Adventist Health has announced that in-home and hospice care services have been re-established for residents in Paradise and Butte County. Adventist Health a faith-based non-profit health system, has served the Paradise community for more than half a century.

It is going to be a bad year (or more) for the Medicare businessWall Street Journal, by David Wainer; 1/25/24America’s seniors are going to keep up their elevated use of the medical system throughout the year. That is the message from Humana’s earnings release on Thursday, which is sending stocks of insurance giants sliding.