Literature Review

The most urgent needs in medical education Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 7/30/24 Healthcare is rapidly changing, presenting challenges to new physicians and the organizations that train them. The rise of AI, new technologies, patient demands and increased awareness in social determinants of health and equity have pushed leaders and organizations to change how they evaluate healthcare workers' preparedness as they enter the field. ...

Physician pioneer in medical ethics dies: Howard Brody, MD, PhD Becker's Hospital Review; by Mariah Taylor; 7/29/24 Howard Brody, MD, PhD, a pioneer in the field of medical ethics, died July 22 at 75, KnoxTNToday.com reported July 29. Dr. Brody earned doctorates in both medicine and philosophy and specialized in topics such as medical ethics, end-of-life care and the placebo effect. He practiced family medicine and served as director of the Institute for the Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, as well as director of the Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences at East Lansing-based Michigan State University. Dr. Brody is survived by his wife and two children. 

Proactive fall prevention: Elevating patient safety and healthcare excellenceHealthCare Business News; by Amy Hester; 7/26/24... The significance of fall prevention cannot be overstated, as it directly impacts patient outcomes and overall healthcare quality. With the patient safety solutions market growing at an expected rate of 11.2%, the importance of proactive fall prevention strategies becomes even more evident. ... In the United States, preventable medical errors, including falls, are the third leading cause of death. The impact of falls on patient health and recovery is profound, often leading to longer hospital stays, delayed recovery and increased risk of subsequent falls.Editor's Note: Proactive fall prevention is especially important for persons needing palliative or hospice care. As the person's health and mobility declines, they have to adjust to these changes mentally, emotionally, physically, and relationally. Recognizing decline can feel like defeat. Asking for help can be tough. Family members can expect the person to move more independently more than possible, leading to falls.

Caregivers of end-of-life patients reveal the last words they hear most often and the most common regrets from patients WhatsNew2Day; by Alexander; 7/27/24... While each person’s final moments are different, chaplains and palliative care nurses have said most people approach their death with “radical acceptance.” People who are actively dying also often have a new sense of clarity about the universe and may even have a temporary burst of energy or sudden moments of clarity if they have dementia. The last words patients usually say to their families are to tell them they love them... [Often, people] who are in the midst of dying want to be surrounded by their loved ones and pets. Their final words are often words of love and pleas for forgiveness, as well as expressions of regret, ... [Another described that people show] "a desire for connection" with loved ones and faith. Editor's Note: This article provides a balanced scope of descriptions from several professionals, notably Catherine Duncan, Annemarie Switchulis, Neal Shah, and Zackary Price. In this day of social media, some hospice professionals (past or present) tout definitive, authoritative descriptions of what all dying persons experience, with too many assumptions and generalizations. Beware what you read and distribute, especially if the tone and language (of other articles) are sensationalized in a way to garner social media "expertise," followers and Shares--at the expense of more balanced, sensitive, diverse, personalized experiences.

Omega - Journal of Death and Dying - June 2024 Sage Journals - Omega - Journal of Death and Dying; June 2024 issue Omega - Journal of Death and Dying, a peer-reviewed journal that says it brings insight into terminal illness, the process of dying, bereavement, mourning, funeral customs and suicide, published research articles on the following topics in its June 2024 edition (Vol. 89, Issue 2). [A few sample topics include the following:]

AMA Advocacy issue briefsAmerican Medical Association; 7/24/24 Issue briefs summarize key health policy issues by providing concise and easily digestible content targeting both relevant stakeholders and those who may know little about the topic. Contents: Medicare & Medicaid; Telehealth; Scope of practice; Prior authorization; Reducing physician burnout; Practice management; Overdose and mental health/substance use disorder parity; Access to affordable, high-value care; Health care costs & price transparency; Drug costs & pricing; Hospitals & health systems; State medical liability reform; LGBTQ+ health; The business of medicine; Public health improvement; Essential Tools & Resources.

UVM Medical Center reaches new contract for nursing employees, 23% wage hike VB Vermont Biz; by The University of Vermont Medical Center; 7/22/24 Nurses employed by University of Vermont Medical Center who are part of the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (VFNHP) voted to ratify a new three-year contract for nursing staff this past weekend. The contract includes a 23% wage increase for nurses over the next three years.

Sasha McAllum Pilkington on grace and storytelling at the end of life Psychotherapy.net; by Lawrence Rubin; 7/22/24 Narrative Clinician, Sasha McAllum Pilkington [of New Zealand],  shares poignant stories she co-created with hospice clients which honor and celebrate their lives. [This interview includes: ...]

Navigating legal and ethical issues: Nurses’ role in accessing and using the Death Master File Daily Nurse; by Maya Payne; 7/22/24 Nurses have a great deal of responsibility when managing sensitive information, including access to the Death Master File (DMF), because they are healthcare professionals entrusted with patient care. This article explores the moral and legal issues that help nurses use the DMF in their practice in a morally responsible manner. ... Explore this detailed resource on DMF guidelines for further insights into responsibly using the Death Master File in healthcare settings. Editor's Note: About 10 years ago, the Social Security Office declared me as "dead." Yes. This affected everything financial and legal in my life. My husband even received standardized condolences from businesses with his name as my key contact. Clean up? A mess. Cause? The best that the Social Security Office could discern was that someone, somewhere entered a clerical mistake. I will never know. The effects of how this Death Master File is used--legally, ethically, and otherwise--cannot be understated.

Exhausted by prior auth, many patients abandon care: AMA survey AMA News Wire - American Medical Association; by Tanya Albert Henry; 7/18/24 Among America’s physicians, more than nine in 10 surveyed say that prior authorization has a negative impact on patient clinical outcomes. Most telling is that 78% of physicians reported that prior authorization often or sometimes results in their patients abandoning a recommended course of treatment, according to the results of the AMA’s annual nationwide prior authorization survey (PDF) of 1,000 practicing physicians. In addition to patients forgoing care, physicians also see the burdensome insurance company practice known as prior authorization leading to care delays and serious adverse events. [Click on the title's link for more specific stats.]

Bridge the gap: Addressing rural end-of-life care disparities and access to hospice services Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; by Asif Anwar, Muhammad Kashif Amin, Sherezaad Anwar, Moazzam Shahzad; 7/11/24 online ahead of print Rural hospices face many obstacles in delivering palliative and end-of-life care in the United States. We aimed to identify these barriers and their potential solutions. ...  We propose several potential solutions to overcome these hurdles and improve access. ... Advanced practice providers should be considered to serve as physician heads in rural hospices, which would expand resources in areas with physician shortages. A single per diem payment model should be implemented for rural hospices, regardless of the level of care provided, to help offset the higher cost of care. he Critical Access Hospital program and offering cost-based reimbursement for swing-bed stays could improve access to post-acute care, including hospice services. Telehealth can improve the timeliness of care and reduce travel costs for patients and providers.  [Continue reading for more solutions.]

Waverly nursing home put on probation, nurse suspended in connection to death of a resident, documents show ABC KETV-7, Omaha, NE; by Jake Anderson and Aaron Hegarty; 7/17/24 A nursing facility has been placed on probation by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services in connection to the death of a resident. Constance Glantz, 74, was mistakenly declared dead at The Mulberry at Waverly, a nursing home, in June. Glantz was then taken to a funeral home in Lincoln, which realized that she was still breathing. The 74-year-old, who was in hospice care, was declared dead hours later at a Lincoln hospital. A public records request by KETV Investigates shows that a state investigation into the facility in Waverly found the registered nurse on duty failed to take Glantz's blood pressure after it was believed she had died. That nurse was suspended, according to the state investigation. Documents show that the state also found a second case where a patient was not evaluated correctly. ... [Nebraska AARP Director Todd Stubbendieck] points to Medicare.gov's tool, which rates nursing homes, as a resource. He also points to a similar tool from ProPublica.