Literature Review

Pastime activities, social connectedness, and grief resolution: A brief report highlighting the salience of socializing for grief resolution among bereaved older adultsThe Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease; by Xin Yao Lin, Holly G Prigerson, Yifan Chou, Paul K Maciejewski; 10/25We sought to examine the relationship between pastime activities (i.e., activity engagement), social connectedness with family and friends, and severity of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) symptoms across younger, middle-aged, and older adults. Cross-sectional findings showed that engagement in pastime activities (e.g., travel, sports) was associated with greater social connectedness for older adults, and social connectedness was associated with lower PGD symptom severity. Engagement in pastime activities was associated with lower PGD symptom severity for middle-aged adults. Results are consistent with the socioemotional selectivity theory and the microsociological theory of adjustment to loss and suggest that grief interventions should have age-specific strategies, encourage specific pastime activities, and promote feelings of social connectedness.

A qualitative study to characterize the experiences of patients and caregivers with dementia diagnostic disclosure communication and care planningJournal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology; by Joanna Paladino, Heily Chavez Granados, Jade A Connor Eruchalu, Carine Davila, Liliana Ramirez Gomez, Alissa Bernstein Sideman, Daniel Dohan, Elizabeth Lindenberger, Lindsay Dow, Ana-Maria Vranceanu, Deborah Blacker, Christine S Ritchie; 10/15/25Clinician communication at the time of a dementia diagnosis often inadequately addresses patient and caregiver needs. We aimed to characterize the communication experiences of patients and caregivers affected by dementia using an evidence-based serious illness communication framework... Dementia diagnostic disclosure would benefit from a structured yet tailored communication approach that prioritizes respectful communication, emotional support, and comprehensive care planning to meet the needs of patients and caregivers.

[Netherlands] Treatment satisfaction with nonoperative management of suspected hip fractures in nursing home patients with a Do-Not-Hospitalize directive: A prospective case series (NONU-HIP)Journal of Palliative Care; by Sverre A I Loggers, Romke Van Balen, Jeroen Steens, Hanna C Willems, Pamela Riezebos, Anja Wagenaar-Huisman, Michael H J Verhofstad, Esther M M Van Lieshout, Pieter Joosse; 9/25Some nursing home residents opt to forgo hospital admission in case of a suspected hip fracture due to the poor prognosis. This study assesses treatment satisfaction and quality of life in nursing home residents with a suspected hip fracture and a do-not-hospitalize directive. This study showed that nonoperative management of suspected proximal femoral fractures in nursing home patients that opted to forgo hospital admission, results in high treatment satisfaction, high quality of dying with good symptom control, and predictable short-term mortality rates. 

[Brazil] Impact of medical cannabis on the quality of life of cancer patients: A critical reviewJournal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine; by Larissa Gonçalves Correa, Adriana Marcassa Tucci; 9/25This study aimed to review the literature on the impact of medical cannabis (MC) on the quality of life (QoL) of cancer patients. The studies suggest that MC can improve mental health, sleep, appetite, and pain in cancer patients and decrease nausea, vomiting, and the use of other medications, such as opioids. Increased survival time and cognitive function improvements were also observed, with mild or moderate adverse effects. Both tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol (full spectrum) were commonly used, with varied intervention durations.

Poverty, food insecurity, and housing instability among US health care workersJAMA Network; by Anthony Zhong, Chloe Gao, Donald Szlosek, Dang Nguyen, Maelys J. Amat, Russell S. Phillips; 10/22/25The US health workforce faces projected shortages of more than 180 000 physicians and 200 000 registered nurses in the next decade. Burnout, poor working conditions, and inadequate wages have been cited as key drivers of these shortages. However, the prevalence of financial hardship can affect worker retention and job performance. This study evaluated rates of poverty, food insecurity, and housing instability among US health care workers... Rates of financial hardship varied by occupational group. Direct care/support workers reported the highest rates of financial hardship across all measures, including poverty (9.63%), food insecurity (24.50%), and housing instability (13.64%).Publisher's note: An interesting question - do we know these rates among hospice workers?

FSU launches first Clinical Catalyst to unite providers and researchers to solve problemsFlorida State University News; by Kathleen Haughney; 10/21/25FSU held the first ever Clinical Catalyst as part of the 2025 Discovery Days, an event to bring together local clinical providers with researchers to find evidence-based solutions to pressing challenges in health and health care... Topics included mastectomy garments, pregnancy misinformation in social media, pacemaker complications, post-surgery stroke complications, trauma referral from rural areas, ER visits, same-day triage, team-based care, Parkinson’s disease and driving, and end-of-life care.

Hospice & Palliative Care Network of Maryland calls for action on short hospice stays: New issue paper highlights urgent need for earlier access to careHospice & Palliative Care Network of Maryland press release; by Peggy Shimoda; 10/23/25The Hospice & Palliative Care Network of Maryland (HPCNM) has released a new issue paper, “Short Hospice Stays in Maryland: Ensuring Patient-Centered Care at End-of-Life,” revealing that Maryland ranks 46th nationally for hospice length of stay. With a median of just 18 days in 2024, patients and families miss the full benefit of hospice services that promote comfort, dignity, and peace at the end of life... “Short hospice stays are not just a clinical problem—they’re a systems challenge,” said Dr. Jennifer Kennedy, HPCNM Board Member and Chair of the Short Length of Stay Workgroup. “Earlier conversations, coordinated care, and improved discharge practices can help patients receive the care they deserve sooner.”

Rethinking slow codes: Gina Piscitello, Parker Crutchfield, Jason WassermanGeriPal podcast; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Gina Piscitello, Parker Crutchfield, Jason Wasserman; 10/23/25I’m going to begin with a wonderful quote from a recent editorial in Bioethics by our guests Parker Crutchfield & Jason Wasserman. This quote illustrates the tension between the widely held view in bioethics that slow codes are unethical, and the complexity of real world hospital practice: “Decisive moral positions are easy to come by when sitting in the cheap seats of academic journals, but a troubling ambivalence is naturally characteristic of live dilemmas.” ... Today we talk about what constitutes a slow code, short code, show code, and “Hollywood code.” We talk about walk don’t run, shallow compressions, and…injecting the epi into the mattress! We explore the arguments for and against slow codes: harm to families, harm to patients, moral distress for doctors and nurses; deceit, trust, and communication; do outcomes (e.g. family feels code was attempted) matter more than values (e.g. never lie or withhold information from family)? ... One thing we can all agree about: the ethics of slow codes need a rethink.

Health care in the USA: money has become the missionThe Lancet; by Adam Gaffney, Steffie Woolhandler, David U Himmelstein, Danny McCormick; 10/21/25Despite extraordinary scientific and medical resources, the US health-care system underperforms. In this Review we consider the damage wrought by decades of market-based policies that have stimulated profit-seeking by insurers and health-care providers.

Executive Personnel Changes - 10/24/25

The best, worst states for Medicare: ReportBecker's Payer Issues; by Elizabeth Casolo; 10/16/25Vermont, Utah and Minnesota topped the Commonwealth Fund’s Medicare performance scorecard in 2025, whereas Kentucky, Mississippi and Louisiana struggled the most. The healthcare research foundation evaluated states on criteria spanning four domains: access to care, quality of care, costs and affordability, and population health. These performance indicators draw from CMS, federal surveys and other public data sources. The Commonwealth Fund ranked states according to how well Medicare was working based on those indicators. The organization mostly reviewed data from 2023 through 2025.

Hospice exec evaluates possible ‘path forward’ for MA hospice carve-inMcKnight's Newsmakers Podcast; by Liza Berger, Joe Shega; 10/15/25The so-called “carve-in” failed when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services halted the hospice portion of the Value-Based Insurance Design program last year. And just last month, providers were speaking out against the carve-in to lawmakers at the annual fly-in for the National Alliance for Care at Home. But the two value-based care programs — hospice and MA — are not necessarily incompatible, according to Joe Shega, MD, chief medical officer for hospice provider VITAS Healthcare. As long as all the stakeholders agree about the parameters — that benefits remain intact, that there is no delay in access — there can be a “path forward” for hospice to be part of the MA benefit, he told McKnight’s Home Care in a Newsmakers podcast.

Hospital - and private equity – affiliated specialty physicians negotiate higher prices than independent physiciansHealth Affairs; by Alexander P. Philips, Nandita Radhakrishnan, Christopher M. Whaley, Yashaswini Singh; 10/25Hospital and private equity (PE) consolidation in health care is altering the physician practice landscape, with more than three-quarters of physicians employed by these corporate entities as of 2023. We examined practice affiliation patterns for specialist physicians and those patterns’ association with commercial prices for cardiology and gastroenterology services... Hospital-affiliated specialists negotiated prices that were 16.3 percent higher for cardiology procedures and 20.7 percent higher for gastroenterology procedures compared with specialists in independent practices. PE-affiliated specialists negotiated prices that were 6.0 percent higher for cardiology and 10.0 percent higher for gastroenterology procedures.