Value-Based Care a Driver of Palliative Care Investment

A clear trend has emerged in the health care industry: Mergers and acquisitions of health care firms have slowed year over year. Though home-based care M&A showed “signs of life” in Q3 2024 in what has otherwise been a relatively quiet year thus far, transaction volume was still down last year, according to a report […]

Building Stronger Palliative Care-Psychiatry Collaborations

Patients with serious mental illnesses (SMI) have a range of complex needs that greater integration of psychiatry into palliative care could help address. A large issue preventing stronger collaborations is a lack of clearly defined patient eligibility criteria for palliative care delivery, according to Dr. Danielle Chammas, palliative care physician and psychiatrist at University California, […]

Ibogaine a Potential Opioid Alternative for Chronically Ill Palliative Patients

Ibogaine therapy is emerging as a potential alternative to opioid treatments among seriously ill patient populations seeking pain and symptom relief. But palliative care providers need a wider window into the laws that limit utilization. Ibogaine is a plant-derived psychoactive alkaloid drug with hallucinogenic properties. It is among the federally controlled psychedelic substances being explored […]

Oncologists: Palliative Care Plays ‘Critical Role’ in Improving Quality, Health Equity

Interdisciplinary palliative care delivery can help to improve quality and health disparities among underserved cancer patient populations, according to oncology specialists. Cancer patients across diverse cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds often lack access to goal-concordant care that sufficiently addresses their physical, emotional and spiritual needs, according to Nadine Barrett, president of the Association of Cancer […]

5 ‘Hidden Gem’ Palliative Care News Stories in 2024

Palliative care providers have explored diverse routes to improve quality and access to their services in 2024. Below are five under-the-radar stories that, while important, didn’t make our most read this year. The topics spanned evolving reimbursement trends, innovative care delivery partnerships and research examining the biggest barriers among undeserved populations. Palliative Care ‘Ahead of […]

2024’s Most Read Palliative Care News Stories

“Access” was the watchword in the palliative care community during 2024, as providers sought more ways to reach the right patients at the right time. However, the momentum toward greater access is slow, even though researchers, payers, providers and regulators increasingly recognized the value of palliative when it comes to improved quality and health care […]

Greater Education Needed to Bring Palliative Care to Cancer Patients

Cancer patients generally need palliative care, but widespread misperceptions often stand in their way, both among the public and many clinicians themselves. This is according to Nadine Barrett, president of the Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC). The organization has been holding a series of webinars designed to better educate the oncology community about palliative […]

AHA: Palliative Care Should Be Fully Integrated into Stroke Care

The health care community should integrate palliative care into all aspects of post-stroke treatments, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA). This should include interventions to address psychosocial health, navigating the health care system and preparation for end-of-life care when necessary, the statement indicated. The paper appeared in a recent […]

2024’s Palliative Care Payment Trends Provide ‘Plethora of Data’ for Future Policymaking

The varied routes of palliative care payment trends taking shape in today’s reimbursement landscape could have significant effects on the future outlook of sustainability and access to these services. Palliative care providers need a strong understanding around the insights gained from the current mix of payment models evolving in their space, according to Brynn Bowman, […]