Literature Review

10 smart questions to ask before hiring an IT services company DesignRush; by Sergio Oliveira; 10/28/25 A first-hand guide for CEOs on how to vet IT vendors, avoid scope traps, and ensure accountability beyond the pitch. ... Every IT partner looks capable during a pitch — that’s their job. The challenge is separating an agency's confidence from day-to-day reality. I’ve learned that asking the right questions early is the only way to find out how potential agencies will handle change, protect uptime, and keep you in control of your own data. 

Telepalliation creates a sense of security: A qualitative study of patients with cancer receiving palliative carePalliative Medicine; by Jarl Voss Andersen Sigaard, Elisabet Dortea Ragnvaldsdóttir Joensen, Una Rósa Birgisdóttir, Helle Spindler, Birthe Dinesen; 10/7/25 ... The aim of this study was to explore patients' experiences with the functionality of the Telepalliation program while receiving specialized palliative care. ... Results: Four key themes emerged: "Sense of coherence," "Telepal platform," "Roles of spouse/partner and relatives," and "Cross-sector collaboration." The program improved patients' sense of security and coherence by enhancing communication with healthcare professionals. ... The platform also successfully integrated relatives into the care process. Editor's Note: While this research was conducted in Denmark, it surely resonates with patient care in the US. Reference articles in the uncertainties of government shutdowns, legislative needs to extend telehealth, and more: 

How personalized medicine empowers patients and cuts healthcare costs Becker's Hospital Review; by Mary Sirois; 10/1/25 ... How do we unlock a new era of healthcare excellence? The answer lies in a fundamental shift: personalized care delivered within a truly patient-centered framework that improves satisfaction for patients and clinicians while enabling better clinical, operational, and financial outcomes across the healthcare ecosystem. ... Imagine a healthcare system where:

Virtual visits boost hospice home care services across Dallas-Fort Worth area The Smithfield Times, Aubrey, TX; Press Services; 9/26/25 Sovereign Hospice in Aubrey, TX, explains how telehealth and virtual visits help patients and families get hospice home care services faster. In the Dallas–Fort Worth area, these tools let nurses and doctors check patients quickly and answer questions without delay. Families far away can also join care meetings by video, making them part of the journey and improving understanding of the services the hospice offers.

Telehealth services on the brink again – Is a 7-week stopgap the only fix? The National Law Review; by Danielle H. Tangorre, Conor O. Duffy of Robinson & Cole LLP; 9/26/25 Healthcare providers are again confronted with the potential termination of telehealth services unless Congress acts to extend the Medicare flexibilities implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. If no legislative action is taken before September 30, 2025, those providers and patients who have depended on expanded telehealth options will encounter substantial limitations in access beginning October 1, 2025. ... A summary of the existing telehealth waivers and their newly proposed expiration dates is included below. ...

Conversational AI in hospice care: risks and benefits Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/29/25 Numerous types of artificial intelligence (AI) have gained a substantial foothold in health care, including hospices, with conversational AI among them. Conversational AI uses natural language processing and machine learning to develop virtual assistants and chatbots that can automate certain functions. ... The use of conversational AI in health care for the most part falls into two categories — delivery of remote health services and administrative assistance to health care providers, according to 2024 research published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. ... However, the technology has limitations, the study found. These include ethical challenges, legal and safety concerns, technical difficulties, user experience issues and societal and economic impacts.

350 health groups urge Congress to extend Medicare telehealth MedCityNews; by Marissa Plescia; 8/14/25 A group of 350 organizations, including the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, are urging Congress to make Medicare telehealth flexibilities introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic permanent, or at least extend them for two years. In a letter to congressional leaders, the organizations emphasize the importance of telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries, particularly those with chronic conditions or in rural areas, and highlight the potential impact on health care access and infrastructure. Guest Editor’s Note, Judi Lund Person: Unless there is Congressional action after the August recess to extend the hospice face-to-face requirement through telehealth, that option will conclude on September 30, 2025.

Combining clinical insight and data-driven expertise: The case for morning huddles in primary care HEAL Security; by Becky Trotter and Aliya Ali; 7/1/25 The daily huddle, also called a morning huddle, is a brief standup meeting commonly associated with inpatient and surgical care. In these settings, safety is the predominant focus of the meeting. However, the same idea can be used in primary care settings to get care teams ready for the patients scheduled for that day. Morning huddles are an opportunity to merge clinical knowledge with data and analytics to help ensure primary care teams are aligned and specific care needs are recognized before patients walk into the practice. Editor's Note: Is this practice so new? Back in the 1990's at Hospice & Palliative Care of Louisville, each morning began with going through my hospice voicemail box for our well-oiled system of receiving and replying to voicemails for the whole team or individual members, from on-call staff, from leaders from throughout our organization, or other voicemails. These first-thing-in-the-morning communication/tech "huddles" were so crucial then--and are important today (with better tech and data)--because our patients often die during the night. Or, a new patient must be assessed. Or, the patient was transferred from home to an inpatient unit. Or, you know the common, literally life-changing needs. Is your hospice behind the times or leading the way with today's clinical communications and data?

Palliative video consultation and symptom distress among rural inpatients-A randomized clinical trialCritical Care Medicine; Marie A. Bakitas, DNSc, RN; Shena Gazaway, PhD, RN; Felicia Underwood, MSW, MPS, LICSW-S; Christiana Ekelem, BS; Vantrice T. Heard, PhD; Richard Kennedy, MD, PhD; Andres Azuero, PhD; Rodney Tucker, MD, MMM; Susan McCammon, MD, PhD; Joshua M. Hauser, MD; Lucas McElwain, MD; Ronit Elk, PhD; 7/25The triple threat of rural geography, racial inequities, and older age has hindered access to high-quality palliative care for many people in the US. Only 70% of the deep South vs 85% to 94% of the rest of the US has palliative care despite the deep South having the greatest needs due to suboptimal health care access and elevated morbidity and mortality. In this RCT [randomized clinical trial] among Black or African American and White chronically ill hospitalized adults, culturally based specialist palliative care video consultation was not associated with statistically significant reduced symptom distress compared with usual care, but there was a clinically meaningful difference ... between groups. Contrary to our hypotheses, intervention participants’ QOL [quality of life] and resource use (secondary outcomes) also were not improved. Assistant Editor's note: This study reminds us that palliative care delivered virtually, as opposed to in-person, may not be of benefit to some individuals. It also reminds us that palliative care, at its best, is delivered on an ongoing basis by a known, trusted professional, as opposed to a one-time session with a consultant. 

Video palliative care improves symptoms but not outcomes in rural hospitals, study reveals McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 7/15/25 Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham recently studied whether video consultations could improve palliative care for patients age 55 and older in small hospitals lacking specialized end-of-life services. Participants had an average age of 73. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that culturally tailored video consultations — designed with community input to reflect patients’ cultural values and communication preferences — led to a clinically meaningful but not statistically significant reduction in symptom distress. ... [The] video consultations had little effect on hospital readmissions or emergency department visits. The research addressed a critical healthcare gap, as the study notes that only 70% of the Deep South has access to palliative care services, compared to 85-94% in other US regions. This disparity particularly affects rural communities where specialized end-of-life care is often unavailable. 

Joint Commission to create guidelines on AI’s use in healthcare Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Eria Carbajal; 6/11/25 The Joint Commission has partnered with the Coalition for Health AI to establish and implement evidence-based guidance on the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare operations. The first set of guidelines and best practices is slated to be released in the fall, according to a June 10 news release shared with Becker’s. The organizations are also developing an AI certification program, which will be available after the initial guidance is published. The guidance will include a “suite of AI playbooks” and tools to support health systems with safe and ethical adoption of AI. The guidance is expected to be used by more than 80% of U.S. healthcare organizations, according to the release. 

7 browser extension rules every organization should follow to stay secure PI - Programming Insider; by Mar Berman; 6/9/25 Browser extensions have become essential for workplace productivity. Yet, they pose serious security risks that many organizations ignore. These small programs can access sensitive data, alter web content, and create openings for cyberattacks. ... This article presents seven important rules for organizations to manage risks effectively. Whether you work in IT or lead a team, these steps keep your network safe and easy to use. ...

Telehealth use by home health agencies before, during, and after COVID-19 National Institutes of Health, published by Wiley Online Library; by Dana B. Mukamel, Debra Saliba, Heather Ladd, Melissa A. Clark, Michelle L. Rogers, Cheryl Meyer Nelson, Marisa L. Roczen, Dara H. Sorkin, Jacqueline S. Zinn, Peter Huckfeldt; 5/22/25