Literature Review

Novel drug treatments for pain in advanced cancer and serious illness: a focus on neuropathic pain and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathyPalliative Care and Social Practice; by Mellar P Davis; 7/24This review will discuss haloperidol, miragabalin, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and clonidine as adjuvant analgesics or analgesics. Haloperidol [demonstrates] ... only low-grade evidence that [it] improves pain when combined with morphine, methadone, or tramadol in patients who have cancer, pain from fibrosis, radiation necrosis, or neuropathic pain. Miragabalin is a gabapentinoid approved for the treatment of neuropathic pain ... [and] in randomized trials, patients with diabetic neuropathy have responded to miragabalin. Multiple randomized trials and meta-analyses have demonstrated PEA's effectiveness in reducing pain severity arising from diverse pain phenotypes. Intravenous clonidine has been used in terminally ill patients with poorly controlled symptoms, in particular pain and agitation.

Palliative care is a viable option for frail elderly patients with neurocognitive disorders admitted for hip fractures BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders; by Justine Boulet, Etienne L Belzile, Norbert Dion, Chantal Morency, Mélanie Bérubé, Alexandra Tremblay, Stéphane Pelet; 8/10/24 Most patients presenting with a hip fracture regardless of their comorbidities are surgically treated. A growing body of research states that a certain type of elderly patient could benefit more from a palliative approach. ... The presence of [a nuerocognitive disorder] NCD and diminished prefracture autonomy strongly support counseling for palliative care. The high rate of complications when surgery is proposed for frail patients with multiple comorbidities suggests that the concept of palliative surgery needs to be revisited. 

New bill in Congress would improve end-of-life carePublic News Service; Suzanne Potter; 8/23/24A bill just introduced in Congress would raise public awareness of issues surrounding the end of life, including palliative care, and hospice. The Compassionate Care Act [co-sponsored by Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-CA, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-CT] would establish guidelines for advance care planning between health providers and patients... The bill would direct the government to develop education resources for providers, expand telehealth options and facilitate a study of a national advance care planning registry, which would allow patients to transfer their advance directives from state to state.

Protecting patients and society in an era of private equity provider ownership: Challenges and opportunities for policyHealth Affairs; by Christopher Cai, Zirui Song; 5/24Private equity (PE) acquisitions in health care delivery nearly tripled from 2010 to 2020. Despite concerns around clinical and economic implications, policy responses have remained limited. We discuss the US policy landscape around PE ownership, using policies in the European Union for comparison. We present four domains in which policy can be strengthened.

Carolina Caring’s second hospice resale shop location in Mountain View opens 8/28 FOCUS Newspaper; 8/21/24 Carolina Caring is delighted to announce the grand opening of its second Hospice Resale Shop location on Wednesday, August 28, at 10 a.m. This new shop will be located at 2920 S. Highway 127 in Mountain View, just a few miles from the nonprofit serious illness provider’s Catawba Valley Hospice House. ... Carolina Caring, founded in 1979, is an independent, community-based, nonprofit healthcare provider. ... Carolina Caring serves 12 counties across western North Carolina and the Charlotte Region.

How to recognise the dying phase in palliative and end-of-life care Nursing Times; by Julie Kinley and Cathriona Sullivan; 8/19/24This article gives practical guidance for nurses on providing care in the last days of life. ... Birth and death are two certainties in life. Consequently, during their career, many nurses will support, and indeed lead, the management of the care of dying people. ... [Knowing] how to recognise – and manage – this phase of life remains a career-long key responsibility and role. ... In any setting, nurses are part of a wider team. The recognition of dying and the dying phase can be enhanced if everyone:

Hospice of the Ozarks introduces Care Coaching, a free non-medical support program KTLO.com; by KTLO staff; 8/22/24 Hospice of the Ozarks is offering a free Care Coaching service to provide an extra layer of support to patients with serious illness. The program aims to assist and encourage participants until recovery or end of life. Primarily designed as a call service, coaches will also visit with clients in person during the initial assessment period. Carol Jackson, care coach at Hospice of the Ozarks, says the service uses a three pronged approach. Jackson says the care provided is individualized for each client in order to serve them best. The Care Coaching service can also help patients with a wide variety of needs, such as medicine, insurance, transportation, food, in-home care, paperwork and follow-ups on doctor’s visits. Jackson gives examples of what she can do for her clients.

Bridgeway Hospice’s new nonprofit ensures access to care Hays Free Press, Buda, TX; by Megan Navarro; 8/21/24 To ensure that members of the community have ease of access to the care that they need, a new nonprofit has been established out of a local hospice service in Buda: Bridgeway To Care Foundation. “We’ve had the hospice for three years — Bridgeway Hospice — and then we have our home health, which is Be Healthy At Home; we established that in 2008. We just saw a certain number of clients that are going without care or kind of falling in between either Medicare age or not being able to utilize their hospice benefit, whether because they’re [younger] than 65 or they’re continuing to seek treatment, such as chemotherapy,” said Brandis Wilmore, president of Bridgeway Hospice. 

The importance of competencies in pain management and palliative care Greenwich Sentinel, Greenwich, CT; by Russell R. Barksdale, Jr.; 8/21/24 ... Competencies, ongoing pharmacological education, regular patient pain assessments, management, and medication adjustments are all crucial processes for healthcare providers in today’s complex medical environment. Regrettably, metabolic and behavioral issues related to pain medications, especially opioids, if not properly managed, poses risk of addiction. Beginning in the late 1990s, the consumption of medical opioids used to treat pain increased in many countries worldwide. Since that time, alarmingly the United States has outpaced every other country in per capita opioid consumption. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Transforming hospice care: The evolving role of medical directorsCHAPcast podcast; by Jennifer Kennedy, Daniel Maison; 8/21/24How have federal regulatory changes reshaped the role of hospice medical directors from mere formalities to key players in patient care and organizational leadership? Join Jennifer Kennedy and our esteemed guest, Dr. Daniel Maison, as we unpack the historical "three S's" and explore the significant transformations driven by CMS regulations. You'll gain valuable insights into the evolving responsibilities of hospice medical directors, highlighting their integral contributions to both operational and clinical aspects within hospice organizations.

Hospice Insights Podcast - Stories of successful hospice leadership: The CEO and Chief Medical Officer relationship JD Supra; by Husch Blackwell; 8/21/24 A strong and engaged Chief Medical Officer (CMO) may be a hospice CEO’s most important asset. But what does a successful CEO/CMO relationship look like and how must it evolve to meet today’s challenges? In this episode we get to find out, as Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske is joined by HopeHealth CEO Diana Franchitto and Dr. Edward Martin, CMO, whose trusted relationship has been instrumental to the organization’s success and clinical expansion.

From fear to empowerment: How palliative care can help University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute; 8/21/24 In 2018, Ruth Hill got out of bed one morning and felt her spine literally break. The 53-year-old collapsed to the floor. “I knew something catastrophic had happened,” Ruth says. She soon learned six of her vertebrae had cracked and two had exploded. The doctor at the hospital in Colorado Springs, where Ruth had been visiting her son and grandchildren, gave her even more devastating news. “You’re filled with cancer. It’s incurable,” he told her. “We’re going to take you upstairs and check your brain. If it’s in your brain, you won’t have long to live.” ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading this inspirational story.]

Palliative care graduates undertake noble mission to impact lives of patients University of Maryland School of Pharmacy; by Andrew Tie; 8/20/24 The University of Maryland, Baltimore celebrated 43 graduates of the online Graduate Studies in Palliative Care in a summer ceremony at Pharmacy Hall on Aug. 9. Of the Class of 2024, 36 received their Master of Science degree and seven received a graduate certificate. Two members of the class completed a dual degree along with their Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree, which they received in May from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. ... The program attracts a diverse range of disciplines in health care, such as physicians, nurses, and chaplains.