Literature Review

Ordered to pay $1.536B in criminal fines and forfeiture for distributing misbranded opioid medication Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Justice; Press Release; 5/3/24Endo Health Solutions Inc. (EHSI) was ordered to pay $1.086 billion in criminal fines and an additional $450 million in criminal forfeiture — the second-largest set of criminal financial penalties ever levied against a pharmaceutical company —for violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act related to the distribution of the opioid medication Opana ER with INTAC (Opana ER). ...

Wide-ranging health care bill gets final approval from CT House CT Mirror - Connecticut's Nonprofit Journalism; by Jenna Carlesso; 5/6/24The House gave final passage Monday to a wide-ranging health care bill that would add protections for home care workers, boost preparedness for cyberattacks at medical facilities and establish new regulations for the state’s health information exchange, among other reforms. ... The sections on additional protections for home care workers were prompted by the murder of visiting nurse Joyce Grayson, who was killed in October while working at a halfway house in Willimantic. ... The bill requires home health aide agencies to collect certain client information upon intake and make it available to any employee assigned to the client. Information includes a history of violence against health care workers, domestic abuse, substance use, psychiatric history, any listing on a sex offender registry, the crime rate of the municipality the person lives in, and whether there are any weapons or safety hazards in the home. [Click on the title's link for more important information about this bill's safety measures.]

Hospice remains a blind spot for Medicare Advantage Axios; by Maya Goldman; 5/6/24 As Medicare Advantage grows bigger and bigger, there's one area the industry and regulators haven't figured out how to make work yet: hospice. Why it matters: The end-of-life care option is the only Medicare service that can't be offered in the private-run alternative, which now covers over half of enrollees. ... Catch up quick: Usually, when a Medicare Advantage beneficiary decides to enter hospice after receiving a terminal diagnosis, traditional Medicare pays for this care while they remain enrolled in their private plan. ... Editor's Note: This practical, user-friendly article outlines the purposes, challenges, and outcomes of Medicare Advantage with hospice patients. Share this with your leaders and board members.

HHS finalizes disability access rule for healthcare providers Modern Healthcare, by Kara Hartnett; 3/2/24 The Health and Human Services Department finalized a rule that broadens nondiscrimination protections for individuals with disabilities in healthcare environments. ... When the rule takes effect July 1, healthcare organizations will be required to modify facilities and medical equipment to cater to patients' physical and sensory needs. Facilities will have to update features such as elevators and ramps to ensure they are functional and meet federal standards. In addition, healthcare organizations must ensure websites, mobile apps and virtual care programs are user-friendly for people with disabilities and remove disability status as a factor in clinical support tools.

Doing the right thing for hospice patients Journal of Emergency Mediscal Services; by Abe Tolkoff, EMT, Daniel Tauber, NRP, and Amelia E. Breyre, MD, NRP; 5/2/24 Here is a novel solution in practice at the Yale New Haven Hospital Center for EMS; a paramedic hospice rotation. After being dispatched to a lift assist call, two novice EMTs proceeded to the address without lights or sirens. They grabbed their gear bag and walked up the stairs to the home. Knocking on the door, they announced “EMS!” and heard a frantic “Come in!” followed by, “he has a DNR.” ...

Social Model Hospice: Providing hospice and palliative care for a homeless population in Salt Lake City, UtahJournal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing; by Francine Bench Jensen, PhD, RN; Deborah Thorpe, PhD, APRN; 4/24Abstract:  Health care for the homeless population is a complex challenge and represents a significant gap in care, particularly for those at the end of life. Hospice care may be desired but is rarely an option for people without residences, social support, and payment sources. Social model hospice is a unique paradigm of care delivery that offers a viable solution to make hospice and palliative care possible for this population. ... Recommendations for establishing social model hospices are made: key strategies include identifying stakeholders dedicated to alleviating end-of-life homelessness needs, doing a formal needs assessment to identify community resource deficits, and forming mentoring relationships with established programs.

43 health systems ranked by long-term debt Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Alan Condon; 4/29/24 Long-term debt has long been a staple in healthcare, but many hospitals and health systems are responding to the increasing cost of debt and debt service in the rising rates environment. Highly levered health systems are looking to sell hospitals, facilities or business lines to reduce their debt leverage and secure long-term sustainability, which creates significant growth opportunities for systems with balance sheets on a more solid financial footing. Forty-three health systems ranked by their long-term debt: ... [Click on the title's link for the list.]

NHPCO's 2024 Pediatric Palliative and Hospice Care Needs Assessment NHPCO; via email; 5/1/24 The 2024 Pediatric Palliative and Hospice Care Needs Assessment is a product of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO) Pediatric Advisory Council. The goal of the needs assessment is to gain a better understanding of the organizations and providers caring for pediatric patients with serious illnesses throughout the United States. The needs assessment helps create resources and support advocacy. The survey should only be completed once by each organization so please coordinate with your team to complete the survey. For help gathering information, we have created a PDF version of the survey but you will need to input the information into this survey for the information to be used.

Generative AI: A roadmap for healthcare leaders Curate; 4/30/24 ... As the capabilities of generative AI continue to expand, healthcare leaders are tasked with harnessing its potential while navigating the ethical, regulatory, and operational challenges it brings. This article offers a comprehensive roadmap for healthcare C-suite and senior leaders to incrementally adopt generative AI, emphasizing the strategic approach and expertise provided by Curate in healthcare consulting and technology modernization.

Harmony House of Western Massachusetts unveils new home for terminally ill WWLP TV 22 News; by Kayleigh Thomas; posted 4/26/24, updated 4/27/24 [Chicopee, MA] After a long hiatus, the Harmony House of Western Massachusetts unveiled its new home for the terminally ill. It comes after the original home closed in 2019 before Covid-19 hit. Once the pandemic began, plans to renovate the new home were put on hold. Now, they’re completely renovated with a fully staffed team to offer companionship, meals, laundry services, and personal and spiritual care.

How will AI affect care? Let us count the ways McKnights Senior Living; by John O'Connor; 4/25/24 A new report from the editors at Health IT Analytics describes a dozen leading areas where changes will take place. The top three are especially germane to the senior living and care sector. Leading the charge is clinical decision support. ... Following closely is the integration of AI in drug discovery and development. ... Rounding out the top three are electronic health records. ...

'Why we need to talk about dying': Thames Hospice and the reality of palliative careMaidenhead Advertiser; by Sam Leech; 4/27/24What is your understanding of what a hospice does?Many would suggest it is a place where people go to die – but there is much, much more to the journey of patients and loved ones at Thames Hospice [United Kingdom]. ... Catherine McLaughlin, the hospice’s chief executive, said: “This is a place where – yes, death is a big part – but it’s about how do you make memories? How do you give hope at a time when there might not be much of that? Those final days in somebody’s life is a very important time and the lasting memories are important to those who are left behind.”Editor's Note: Too often--in order to make hospice palatable to another's "sign-on-the-dotted-line-so-we-can-admit-you"--marketing professionals overtly deny that hospice is about "dying," "death," or "grief." Take note from this CEO who sensitively weaves in death, dying and bereavement for not only hospice, but also for "palliative care" with gentle, authentic conversation and questions to the public.

Generative AI is supposed to save doctors from burnout. New data show it needs more trainingSTAT+; by Casey Ross; 4/25/24After stratospheric levels of hype, early evidence may be bringing generative artificial intelligence down to Earth. A series of recent research papers by academic hospitals has revealed significant limitations of large language models (LLMs) in medical settings, undercutting common industry talking points that they will save time and money, and soon liberate clinicians from the drudgery of documentation.