Literature Review

Providing service and support at every stage of illness: Palliative nurses improve quality of lifeCleveland Clinic; 10/28/25In palliative nursing, delivering compassionate, high-quality care to people facing terminal or chronic illnesses is a responsibility, and a privilege. Nurses like Marina Sargin, BSN, RN, who specialize in the field, explain it as humbling, rewarding and purposeful... Different from hospice care, which is end-of-life care for those who have less than six months to live, palliative care can benefit people of any age, at any stage of illness, and for however long it is warranted.

GeriPal Live! at NPCRC Foley Retreat: Dio Kavalieratos, Prasanna Ananth, Alexi WrightGeriPal podcast; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Dio Kavalieratos, Prasanna Ananth, Alexi Wright; 10/16/25Today we join you from beautiful Banff, Alberta, Canada at the National Palliative Care Research Center (NPCRC) annual Kathleen Foley retreat... On today’s podcast, we invited Dio Kavalieratos, Prasanna Ananth, and Alexi Wright to join us to talk about three articles that spoke to them. Prasanna chose an article by Abby Rosenberg about being fired in palliative care... Dio chose an article about the economic benefits of palliative care internationally, a call to action... Alexi chose an article about cancer care in prison.

GeriPal Live! at CAPC: Karen Bullock, Kim Curseen, Matt GonzalesGeriPal podcast; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Karen Bullock, Kim Curseen, Matt Gonzales; 10/9/25Eric and I had the pleasure of doing a GeriPal Live! Podcast as the closing keynote for the recent Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) National Assembly in Philadelphia PA. For this podcast, we invited 3 guests to each select an article of interest to them, and engage in a discussion about the article, including questions from the CAPC attendees in the audience. Matt Gonzales used AI to select an article by Ravi Parikh on algorithm based nudges to default patients with advanced cancer into a palliative care consult... Kim Curseen selected an article by Harry Han in JPSM that surveyed palliative care fellowships... Karen Bullock selected a letter she first authored in response to Ira Byock’s white paper on a path forward in hospice and palliative care.

The pitfalls that derail home health providers’ new palliative care efforts Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 10/14/25 ... Though home health-operated palliative care is a rarity, companies like Visiting Nurse Health System, Contessa Health and Compassus have managed to successfully incorporate these services into their broader care delivery model. When structuring an effective palliative care services program, there are some common pitfalls home health providers should avoid. “One of the biggest ones is positioning palliative care as early hospice,” Nikki Davis, senior vice president of palliative care programs at Contessa, said at Home Health Care News’ FUTURE conference. “And just make sure that there’s also clear eligibility and referral pathways, so that when you’re partnering with your home health and hospice teams, you have those processes in place, so that it’s very clear who’s eligible for palliative care.”

'Traffic light care model will help generations'BBC News, West Midlands, England; by Chloe Hughes; 10/6/25 A man with a neuromuscular condition has said that a model of care developed in Shropshire to help patients like him will benefit future generations. ... Part of his care has involved using the Oswestry model developed by Prof Tracey Willis from the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) and her husband, Prof Derek Willis, Severn Hospice's medical director. It uses a "traffic light system" to help neuromuscular teams identify key stages in a patient's journey, in which hospice involvement would improve their quality of life. ... Patients are identified as green, amber or red.

New Missoula palliative care clinic celebrates expansion of patient care options KPAX-8, Missoula, MT; by Cynthia Carranza; 9/25/25 Missoula now has a dedicated space for patients and families to have serious conversations about life-limiting illnesses with the opening of a new Palliative Care clinic. The new clinic inside Partners in Home Care held its grand opening this week, celebrating the facility that has been serving patients since July. ... The new clinic on Palmer Street will complement, not replace, existing home visit services.

Valley Regional Medical Center launches new palliative care program Valley Central.com, NBC-23 and CBS-4, Brownsville, TX; by Jesse Mendez; 9/22/25 Valley Regional Medical Center has launched comprehensive palliative care services through its hospitalist group, HNI Healthcare, to support patients and families facing serious illness. The new palliative care services at Valley Regional Medical Center aim to provide compassionate, patient-centered care, focusing on symptom management and emotional support, as well as goals-of-care discussions to align treatment with patients’ values and preferences.

A workflow initiative to increase the early palliative care referral rate in patients with advanced cancer MDedge - Federal Practitioner - Quality Improvement; by Judy Lim, MD and Linda D. Nguyen, DNP, NP-C, MD; 9/3/25 ... The American Society of Clinical Oncology and the World Health Organization recommend that every patient with advanced cancer should be treated by a multidisciplinary palliative care team early in the course of the disease and in conjunction with anticancer treatment. Despite the documented benefits and the recommendations, early PC is still not often offered in clinical practice. 

Why palliative care is more than just end-of-life support MedPageToday's KevinMD.com; by Dr. Vishal Parackal; 9/1/25 ... Palliative care as a system requires strong interpersonal and cross-specialty communication for smooth functioning, as patients may require expert opinions from different fields to optimize their treatment plan. Patient education for systemic follow-ups and establishing a baseline of knowledge regarding their diagnosis and potential danger signs helps create a better environment for holistic care. While we focus on the physical aspects of care and diagnosis, we often fail to realize the psychological and mental impact that such conditions can have on the patient and their family. ... The opportunity to make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives by easing their suffering and enhancing their quality of life is profoundly fulfilling. ... Editor's Note: Excellent descriptions of palliative care.

How Ochsner Health integrated palliative care training into its medical school curriculumCAPC blog; by Thomas Morel, Susan Nelson, Elizabeth Monies, Sarah Jin Lee; 8/14/25Making the case for palliative care in undergraduate medical education—and practical advice for getting started. We always begin our palliative care lecture for fourth-year medical students with a loss exercise... "This experience underscores the reality that anyone can become seriously ill, and everyone deserves access to the benefits of palliative care." Medical schools have a unique opportunity—and responsibility—to teach foundational palliative care principles. The need is clear: research shows increasing demand for quality palliative care education. Yet in the U.S, medical schools vary widely in how—or whether—they include it in their curricula.

35 years of palliative care progress: What lies ahead for society engagement? Journal of Pain & Symptom Management; by Vilma A Tripodoro, Marie-Charlotte Bouësseau, Stephen Connor, Carlos Centeno; 8/14/25This special article presents a narrative synthesis of key policy milestones, conceptual transitions, and global indicators in the development of palliative care. It contrasts two WHO-endorsed public health models: the 2007 "Umbrella" strategy and the 2021 "House" framework, analysing their complementarities and global relevance. ... The future of global palliative care depends on political will, fair allocation of resources, robust monitoring, and meaningful community participation. ...

Building a strong foundation for pediatric palliative care in Connecticut Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at Yale Law School, Targeted News Service; by Wendy Jiang, Elle  Rothermich, Eugene Rusyn; 8/12/25 The Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at Yale Law School has released a white paper outlining concrete pathways for Connecticut to guarantee pediatric palliative care (PPC) from diagnosis--not only at end of life--while building a workforce equipped to deliver it statewide. The report highlights two foundational barriers: coverage that generally triggers only when a child receives a six-month terminal prognosis, and a shortage of clinicians trained in primary palliative skills, leading to delayed referrals and fragmented support for families facing serious childhood illness. The authors recommend two primary coverage strategies for the state.Editor's Note: Though written for Connecticut, this 42-page white paper from Yale provides excellent information and recommendations to examine for one's own state. Its sub-title is "Establishing a statewide coverage pathway & expanding primary palliative care education for pediatric clinicians."

Study: Most Medicare seniors with advanced cancer still do not receive palliative care McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 8/6/25 A large national study of Medicare beneficiaries who died from advanced cancers found that although use of specialty palliative care has increased in recent years, most older adults still don’t receive this kind of care before death. The findings were published July 24, 2025, in JAMA Network Open and based on an analysis of 1.5 million Medicare fee-for-service enrollees who died between 2018 and 2023. In this study, researchers focused on palliative care delivered outside of hospice settings.