Literature Review

The Long Decline: Health care access grows difficult in shrinking rural communitiesAlabama Reflector, by Alanda Rocha; 1/18/24The lack of health care providers in rural Alabama is stark. Most of Alabama’s rural counties have significantly more people per primary care physician than urban counties. Butler County ... has just one primary care physician per 4,900 residents ... As rural Alabama continues a decades-long population collapse, residents who remain — many of them older people — face increasing barriers to health care, a trend seen around the nation.

$15 billion win for physicians on prior authorizationAMA, by Kevin B. O'Reilly; 1/18/24Under the leadership of Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a final rule making important reforms to prior authorization to cut patient care delays and electronically streamline the process for physicians. Together, the changes will save physician practices an estimated $15 billion over 10 years, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

'Snow was up to my knees': Iowa hospice nurse walks through blizzard to reach patientKETV (NE), by Maddie Augustine; 1/20/24Iowa — Communities across Nebraska and Iowa have felt the impact of recent snowfall and below-zero temperatures, but that weather didn't stop one Iowa hospice nurse. Tiffany McArdle, hospice nurse for St. Croix Hospice, told KETV that in her seven years of working as a hospice nurse, she never imagined she would be walking through a blizzard to reach a patient, but she said she never doubted she would find a way to make it to the family in need on Sunday.

Top ten tips palliative care clinicians should know about providing care for people with disabilitiesJ Palliat Med, by Dorothy W Tolchin, Claire Rushin, Ben Tolchin, Chloe Slocum, Jordana L Meyerson, Susan M Havercamp, Tamra Keeney, Andrea W Schwartz, Kristen Schaefer, Melissa Ross, Michael A Stein, Christopher A Jones, William E Rosa, Forrest A Brooks/ 1/17/24Palliative care (PC) clinicians are well poised to help people with disabilities (PWD) live well in the context of serious illness. PC prioritizes person-centered care with a focus on function, autonomy, and quality of life. This approach aligns with principles of high-quality care for PWD.Requires subscription Editor's Note: See 

Hollywood's portrayal of cancer in movies fuels misconceptions, new study findsPR Newswire; 1/17/24... Researchers reviewed more than 100 films released between 2010-2020 and found several key findings about films' lasting impact on public perception of cancer treatment, prevention and care options. Key findings from the study include:

Social determinants of health play 'an important role' in end-of-life pain strategiesHealio, by Jennifer Byrne and Timothy M. Pawlik; 1/16/24Patients with gastrointestinal cancers face ongoing racial/ethnicity-based disparities in end-of-life pain management, specifically in terms of access to and utilization of opioids, study results showed.

Increasing longevity, decreasing health quality: A close look at American health trendsBNN, by Ayesha Mumtaz; 1/16/24Recent data paints a concerning picture of Americans’ health despite an increase in longevity. While people are living longer, the quality of their health during these extended years is deteriorating. 

Microsoft seeking chief medical officerBecker's Health IT, by Naomi Diaz; 1/16/24Publisher note: No article here, but the idea of MS seeking a CMO is intriguing...

Black caregivers' symptom management, cultural, and religious experiences with home hospice careJournal of Pain and Symptom Management, by Taeyoung Park, Danetta H Sloan, Dulce M Cruz-Oliver, Manney Cary Reid, Sara Czaja, Ronald D Adelman, Ritchell Dignam, Veerawat Phongtankuel; 8/23 Objectives: This study seeks to address this knowledge gap by applying qualitative methods to understand Black/African American caregivers' experiences around symptom management, cultural, and religious challenges during home hospice care.

Best healthcare jobs in 2024: US newsBecker's Hospital Review, by Alexis Kayser; 1/9/24U.S. News & World Report has ranked the top 26 jobs in the healthcare industry, encompassing some of America's top-paying jobs with high growth potential. [Of note: #1 Nurse practitioner. #2 Physician assistant.] 

PeaceHealth nurses mull a strike amid wage, workload pressuresHospice News, by Holly Vossel; 1/9/24Nurses at PeaceHealth’s Sacred Heart Home Care Services have voted to authorize a strike, citing low wages and staffing strains.PeaceHealth operates two hospice locations in Oregon, along with six others in Alaska and Washington state.

Will we close the Medicare Advantage primary care gap in 2024?MedCity News, by Jim Bonnette; 1/8/24... Across all healthcare industry stakeholders, there is a pressing need to address this growing concern: MA members without primary care physicians (PCPs). This cohort, called the MA Primary Care Gap, may present the highest risk to health plans as MA becomes their fastest-growing segment . ... Furthermore, the MA Primary Care Gap is widening due to industry shortages of primary care providers and the rise of healthcare deserts in both rural areas and under-served urban areas. The absence of primary care physicians is particularly troublesome for Medicare Advantage patients with multiple chronic diseases and complex healthcare needs.