Some hospices have found success employing more community-based methodologies in their health equity improvement efforts. Forging deeper relationships with other providers and organizations has been integral to reaching underserved patient populations. Hospices need culturally-informed approaches that respect and understand values across a diverse range of belief systems, said Dr. Kimberly Curseen, the new board of […]
Hospices are exploring the multiple ways they can use artificial intelligence (AI) by carefully considering the technology’s potentially unknown and unintended impacts. Some providers have used AI tools to reduce errors in clinical and billing documentation. Others have used AI tools to improve operational efficiency and clinical decision making. These quickly evolving AI technologies will […]
Hospices’ diversity and inclusion efforts have hit several barriers in recent years. Policy reform and more person-centered care integration represent two significant propellants toward improvement. Today’s providers often lack sufficient resources to improve health equity in substantial and sustainable ways, said Dr. Kimberly Curseen, board president for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine […]
Community- and person-centered approaches are gaining momentum when it comes to improving access to pediatric palliative care services. Serious and terminally ill children can have a wide range of complex, unique needs along their illness trajectories, said Dr. Kimberly Curseen, the board president for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). Building collaborations […]
Various factors impede the ability of transgender and gender-diverse individuals to receive goal-concordant care at the end of life. Individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community often face greater risks of privacy violations, cultural suppression, disrespect and trauma compared to others, according to Amanda Monteiro, palliative care social worker at Mount Sinai Hospital. Gaps in electronic medical […]
Health care disparities across a swelling aging population are driving a need for evolutionary change in hospice quality standards. Patient-centered, inclusive care models hold the key to unlocking a better quality of life for terminally ill individuals and their families, said Dr. Kimberly Curseen, board of directors president of the American Academy of Hospice and […]
Serious and terminally ill children and their families can have various behavioral health needs that could be better supported through an interdisciplinary care approach. Innovative care model development comes with a host of operational and logistical considerations. Having strong pediatric palliative psychology support includes setting patient eligibility criteria, clinical training and care coordination, according to […]
Strong educational partnerships can lead to more equitable exposure to hospice and palliative care delivery across an increasingly diverse population of medical students. Many students lack exposure to hospice and palliative care throughout the course of their medical training, an issue compounded among underrepresented minority groups. The trend has exacerbated disparities among underserved populations who […]
Some palliative care providers have integrated more nature-based storytelling therapeutic practices into their repertoire of services. These interventions can help support patients’ emotional and spiritual needs. Seriously ill patients and their families often report reduced distress following therapy projects that include a focus on nature and its connection to their current and past lived experiences, […]
Prolific misconceptions about palliative care have impeded access since the specialty’s inception, but providers are developing new community outreach approaches designed to improve understanding. Palliative care providers need a public messaging framework that sufficiently and concisely communicates the full range of their interdisciplinary services, according to Marian Grant, policy and marketing consultant at Marian Grant […]
