Global Challenges Persist in Bringing Hospice Care to Incarcerated Populations

Swelling incarcerated aging populations with unmet end-of-life care needs are straining prison systems worldwide. Recent research has uncovered some of the common strategies to address the issue that are being employed across the globe. More countries have adopted peer caregiving as a way to provide improved support for terminally ill incarcerated individuals, according to researcher […]

Hospice Underutilized by Patients with Several Types of Conditions

Terminally ill patients often lack a firm understanding and awareness about their end-of-life care options, a trend researchers across the world are examining more closely. Underserved neurological patients Patients with neurodegenerative diseases are less likely to receive hospice care compared to others, according to a recent study published in the Neurology journal. The study spanned […]

3 Quality Keys Driving Hospice Staff, Family Caregiver Satisfaction

Research has uncovered common threads of quality impacts among the largest hospices nationwide as providers employ a range of initiatives to uproot the underlying causes of staff and family caregiver dissatisfaction. Strong communication, streamlined operational processes and an encouraging organizational culture are three significant drivers of positive end-of-life experiences for families and staff alike, according […]

Hospice Researchers Seek to Untangle Possible Relationships Between Tax Status and Outcomes

Stakeholders and policymakers who shape the hospice industry are making connections between a provider’s tax status and quality indicators. Their perceptions could have significant repercussions on the outlook of hospice investments. More private equity (PE) investors have stepped into the hospice and home health space in recent years. This trend extends across the broader health […]

Palliative Radiation, Supportive Care Bring Pain Relief to Cancer Patients

Recent research has found that receiving high-acuity services alongside supportive care can help ease pain. The findings come as regulators navigate the future outlook of these services in end-of-life care delivery. More than two-thirds (67%) of liver cancer patients receiving radiotherapy concurrently with supportive/palliative care reported reduced pain intensity levels after one month of treatment […]

Key Research Trends: End-of-Life Disparities Across the Globe

Recent studies spanning various countries have found that location matters for patients with cancer and opioid disorders when it comes to end-of-life care delivery, costs and outcomes. Understanding the significant factors driving global data disparity trends can help inform hospices’ service development strategies and care models. Data has become key to helping providers learn where […]

Research Finds Links Between Hospice Care, Reduced Cancer-Related Suicides

Data trends have found that suicide rates among cancer patients have decreased during the last three decades, with improved psychosocial end-of-life care a potential factor. Researchers recently examined trends in cancer-related suicides during the last four decades and how these rates compare with the general population. A large aim was to gain a broader picture […]

Psychological Trauma Can Worsen Symptom Burden at End-of-Life

Recent research has found that traumatic experiences can lead to increased pain and symptom burden at the end of life, along with a greater likelihood of emotional suffering and isolation. Collective trauma experiences have been associated with higher instances of pain and dyspnea among more than half of seniors nationwide, a recent study found, published […]

Key Research Trends: Telehealth Impacts, Global Gaps in Hospice, Goal-Concordant Care

Research trends can help hospice providers improve their understanding around the impacts of their services and where quality gaps may exist. This article details recent key research findings on hospice care, including the effects of telehealth utilization among terminally ill pediatric patients, along with barriers to improved goal-concordant end-of-life care in Asia, Canada and Europe. […]

Hospice Care Found Lacking in Assisted Living Setting

Hospices that see higher numbers of patients in assisted living facilities tend to have lower quality scores than other providers, research has found. Hospice providers with higher volumes of assisted living-based patients are 7% more likely to receive lower quality scores than those in other settings, according to a recent study, published in the Journal […]