Hospice Research Articles
ICU to Hospice Transitions Are Increasing. What Should We Measure Now?
What the study examined A new national study examined US Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries over age 65 who were admitted to an ICU between 2011 and 2023. The authors found that discharges to hospice after ICU admission increased substantially over time, including an increase in hospice discharg
March 6, 2026 · 2 min read
Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD): Analyzing Trends in Academic Literature
A recent narrative review published in Cureus examined trends in U.S. academic publications on Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD). Rather than arguing for or against MAiD, the authors analyzed the scholarly literature itself. They reviewed recent peer-reviewed articles and categorized them by position (sup
February 26, 2026 · 1 min read
Music, the Brain, and End-of-Life Care
A recent study published in PLOS ONE explores how music influences the way the brain processes, learns, and remembers information. The researchers found that listening to music – especially music that is familiar and predictable – can significantly affect attention, memory encoding, and cognitive se
January 19, 2026 · 3 min read
Topological turning points across the human lifespan
This large-scale study analyzed 4,216 diffusion MRI brain scans from individuals aged 0 to 90. The aim of the study was to map how the brain’s structural wiring – the connections that allow different regions to communicate – changes throughout the entire human lifespan. The researchers examined how
December 7, 2025 · 3 min read
End-of-Life Care for Older Adults With Dementia by Race and Ethnicity and Physicians’ Role
Abstract Importance Evidence is limited regarding whether end-of-life care for individuals with dementia varies by race and ethnicity, and whether observed variations can be explained by differences in the physicians providing their care. Objective To evaluate end-of-life care
November 19, 2025 · 4 min read
The Role of HealthCare Workers in Shaping the Bereavement Journey
Loss is inevitable when working in end-of-life care. But the grief that follows is not simply the family’s burden alone. The way care is delivered before, at, and after the death of a loved one significantly influences whether bereavement becomes a manageable process or a complex, prolonged struggle
October 27, 2025 · 3 min read
A Hospice Intervention for Caregivers: Improving Home Hospice Management of End-Of-Life Symptoms (I-HoME) Pilot Study
Background While home-based hospice care seeks to reduce suffering at the end of life (EoL), patients continue to experience a high symptom burden. High symptom burden contributes to adverse outcomes, including patient suffering, burdensome care transitions, and caregiver burden. Yet, most caregiver
September 28, 2025 · 2 min read
Care in Palliative Care: A Challenging Concept with Normative Issues
Abstract Palliative care is an approach for seriously ill patients. Illnesses and knowledge of limited life expectancy often limit self-determination among patients. Along with the concepts of patient autonomy and heteronomy, care is central to the everyday personal and institutional lives of the il
July 23, 2025 · 3 min read
Recognizing Signs of Imminent Death: Improving Hospice Care and Quality Outcomes
Understanding when a patient is approaching imminent death is one of the most sensitive and critical aspects of hospice care. Recognizing clear clinical indicators not only allows hospice teams to adjust care plans appropriately but also helps families prepare emotionally and logistically for their
July 13, 2025 · 2 min read
Inside the Archives: How George Soros Changed End-Of-Life Care in America
Summary This compelling article explores the transformative work of the Project on Death in America. This groundbreaking initiative fundamentally reshaped American attitudes toward death and dying. The project emerged in response to what researchers identified as a profound cultural crisis: American
June 28, 2025 · 2 min read
End-of-life care on screen: the fictionalisation of palliative care
Abstract And the Oscar, Emmy, BAFTA… goes to… is a phrase that exemplifies the prestigious professional and public recognition of achievement in television and film production. Each year, the various academies' annual awards ceremonies identify, reward, celebrate and commemorate the best contributio
April 6, 2025 · 1 min read
The Emerging Needs of Gen Z and Millennial Family Caregivers
Abstract With an aging population, approximately 58 million people in the United States find themselves stepping into caregiving roles for others, especially as healthcare costs rise and facility-based care options become less accessible. Among these caregivers, Gen Z and Millennial individuals repr
April 6, 2025 · 3 min read
The Ethical Dimensions of Utilizing Artificial Intelligence in Palliative Care
Abstract Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life for seriously ill individuals and their caregivers by addressing their holistic care needs through a person- and family-centered approach. While there have been growing efforts to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into palliative care
March 9, 2025 · 1 min read
Dame Cicely Saunders: Pioneering Palliative Care and the Evolution of Hospice Services
Abstract Dame Cicely Saunders was a pioneer in palliative care and the founder of the modern hospice movement. Her visionary work, particularly in establishing St. Christopher’s Hospice in 1967, reshaped the way healthcare professionals approach the care of patients with life-limiting illnesses. She
December 8, 2024 · 1 min read
Disparities in Palliative and Hospice Care and Completion of Advance Care Planning and Directives Among Non-Hispanic Blacks: A Scoping Review of Recent Literature
Abstract Objectives: Published research in disparities in advance care planning, palliative, and end-of-life care is limited. However, available data points to significant barriers to palliative and end-of-life care among minority adults. The main objective of this scoping review was to summarize th
December 8, 2024 · 2 min read
MIT Study Shows Hospice Care Saves Medicare Money and Improves End-of-Life Quality for Dementia Patients
Abstract The Medicare hospice program is intended to provide palliative care to terminal patients, butpatients with long stays in hospice are highly profitable, motivating concerns about overuseamong the Alzheimer’s and Dementia (ADRD) population in the rapidly growing for-profitsector. We provide t
December 8, 2024 · 1 min read
Caregiver-Reported Quality in Hospices Owned by Private Equity Firms and Publicly Traded Companies
Abstract The US hospice industry has shifted from not-for-profit to for-profit ownership models,1,2 producing concerns about care quality. For-profit hospices may have higher rates of live discharges3 and hospitalizations4 and worse caregiver-reported experiences.1 Recently, hospices have been acqui
December 8, 2024 · 1 min read
Improving Advanced Care Planning Discussions at an Internal Medicine Clinic
Abstract Objective: The project aimed to standardize advanced care planning (ACP) at an internal medicine clinic by initiating physician-patient communication regarding the patient’s knowledge, understanding, and openness to pursuing advanced medical directives. Methods: Data collection was conducte
December 8, 2024 · 4 min read
