Literature Review

Medi-Cal Update - Hospice Care Program BulletinMedi-Cal, March Bulletin[Topics include:]

Give generative AI another decade to revolutionize healthcare Modern Healthcare - Opinion, by Keith Figoli; 3/15/24... Generative artificial intelligence is poised to transform healthcare by enabling solutions to effectively address [common patient care] challenges. This cutting-edge technology opens new avenues for innovation in diagnosis, treatment planning, operations efficiency and overall healthcare delivery–and industry leaders are taking notice. A recent survey revealed that 25% of healthcare organizations implemented a generative AI solution in 2023, while 58% plan to adopt one this year. However, the generative AI-driven transformation won’t – and shouldn’t – happen overnight.

Giving hospice patients a dignified end-of-life experience Steve Adubato On the Air, with Charles Vialotti, MD; 3/13/24On--location at Villa Marie Claire Residential Hospice, Steve Adubato is joined by medical director, Charles Vialotti, MD to talk about his personal commitment to hospice care and giving residents and their families a dignified end-of-life experience.

CMS.gov: ACO Primary Care Flex ModelCMS.gov; 3/19/24The ACO Primary Care Flex Model (ACO PC Flex Model) is a voluntary model that will focus on primary care delivery in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program). It will test how prospective payments and increased funding for primary care in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) impact health outcomes, quality, and costs of care. The flexible payment design will empower participating ACOs and their primary care providers to use more innovative, team-based, person-centered and proactive approaches to care. The model, which starts January 1, 2025, aims to grow participation in ACOs and the Shared Savings Program and increase the number of people with Medicare in an accountable care relationship.

Lubbock author publishes "I'm on Hospice: A Children's Book for Processing & Coping With a Terminal Illness" CBS WDTV 5; book is by Sydney Crane (author) and Nina Broen (illustrator); tv interview 3/14/24While a child is in the care of a hospice team, they will likely hear words and phrases that they do not know or have questions they are unsure how to ask. Presenting information through Riley's story, I'm On Hospice encourages conversations and facilitates a space for questions, discussion, and understanding within any relationship dynamic surrounding a terminally ill child. Riley is a nine-year-old boy whose life purpose is all about baseball, and he shares how each of his hospice caretakers helps him be comfortable and safe.Editor's Note: This book is available on Amazon and Kindle. The description above is from Amazon, as the tv interview is video.

Healthcare hit hardest by ransomware last year, FBI IC3 report shows HealthITSecurity, by Jill McKeon; 3/12/24 The healthcare sector suffered more ransomware attacks than any other critical infrastructure sector last year, according to complaint data examined in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 2023 Internet Crime Report. ... In 2023, IC3 received a record 880,418 complaints, with losses exceeding $12.5 billion. These figures signify a 10 percent increase in complaints received and a 22 percent increase in losses suffered compared to last year’s report.

Navigating difficult conversations with patients with terminal cancer diagnoses Oncology Nursing News, by Darlene Dobkowski, MA; 3/18/24 Although oncology nurses need strong communication skills to help all of their patients navigate their cancer journeys, it is critical to have the ability to have difficult conversations with patients who received a terminal diagnosis, ... Betty Ferrell, Ph.D., M.S.N., CHPN, director and professor in the Division of Nursing Research and Education in the Department of Population Sciences at City of Hope in Duarte, California, said in an interview with Oncology Nursing News. For the past 24 years, her institution has been directing a project called the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC), which is a palliative care training program and includes a module focused on communication.  ... “One of the things that we teach nurses is … that your No. 1 job is to listen,” Ferrell said. “Another thing that we say to nurses is, it is not your job to have all the answers. Patients ask very unanswerable questions. ‘Why me?’ is not an answerable question. But when a patient says, ‘Why me,’ then we want nurses to have good communication skills to say, ‘I can imagine why you're asking that question. Because as you've shared with me, you had no idea that you might be diagnosed with cancer, or you're the first person in your family to ever have cancer.’”

Hospices stepping up performance on visits-in-last-days-of-life measure Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/14/24 Hospices, in aggregate, are showing improvement on the quality measure for visits in the last days of life. The number of registered nurse and social worker visits during a patient’s final week is one of the seven quality measures that CMS uses to evaluate providers. In Calendar Year 2021, the share of hospice care days with nurse visits in the last seven days of life rose to 63%, up from 62% year over year, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). 

What's not talked about in healthcare enough? Becker's Health IT, by Naomi Diaz; 3/14/24 In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare technology, industry leaders express a common concern: the overshadowing of fundamental practices by the allure of cutting-edge innovations. Becker's asked seven hospital and health system leaders at the HIMSS 2024 annual meeting: What's something in healthcare or the health tech space that is not talked about enough?

Private equity sets sights on home care, hospice, new report findsMcKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 3/14/24The home care segment increasingly has become an attractive target for private equity buyers, particularly personal care and hospice, according to the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, a nonprofit financial watchdog organization.

Healthcare execs need to 'iterate faster' for success, says CIO Becker's Health IT, by Laura Dyrda; 3/13/24 Baton Rouge, LA-based Franciscan Ministries of Our Lady Health System embarked on a journey last year to incorporate more artificial intelligence into its operational and clinical systems. Will Landry, senior vice president and CIO of the system, said while the organization doesn't want AI making decisions, there is a lot of value in supporting caregivers and team mates. He joined the "Becker's Healthcare Podcast" to share the health system's strategy for governance and his push for more innovative thinking around AI applications.

California Leads the State-Level Battle Against Hospice Fraud Hospice News, by Jim Parker; 3/13/24As hospice program integrity remains in the spotlight, California remains the only state to take action on curbing the problem. Beginning in 2021, numerous reports emerged of unethical or illegal practices among hundreds of newly licensed hospices, particularly among new companies popping up in California, Texas, Nevada and Arizona. California’s Department of Justice (CDOJ) in 2021 issued a report detailing the state’s history of lax oversight.