Penn Medicine Sets Out to Identify Best Palliative Care Models

Wide variation exists in the ways palliative care is delivered, but Penn Medicine is launching an extensive research project to determine best practices in the hospital setting. A central question in the controlled randomized trial is whether patients would benefit more from expanded access to specialty palliative care versus care from generalists who receive a […]

Study: Machine Learning Prompts Earlier Advance Care Planning, Reduces High-Cost Care

Mortality predictions and behavioral nudges by machine learning systems are associated with increased advance care planning utilization and reductions in high-acuity care. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania recently studied the effectiveness of machine learning algorithms in identifying high-risk cancer patients nearing the last six months of life between June 17, 2019 and April 20, […]

More Medical Schools Investing in Palliative Care Education

Palliative care education programs are gaining speed regionally, leading some to hope for a “domino effect” that would spur further growth. Without widespread change, demand for palliative care in the United States is projected to outstrip the supply of the clinicians trained to provide it during the next decade. A key barrier to building that […]

New Penn Research Center Focused on Palliative Care for Dementia Patients

The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is establishing a new research center designed to improve palliative care for dementia patients who dwell in nursing homes or assisted living facilities.  The new center, called the Transformative Residential Palliative Care for Persons with Dementia Center Through Behavioral Economics and Data Science, will be financed through a $2.5 million […]