# Palliative Care * **Definition:** A specialized area of healthcare focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illness, aiming to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. * **Taxonomy:** Specialties / Palliative Care ## News * Selected news on the topic of **Palliative Care**, for healthcare technology leaders * 4.5K news items are in the system for this topic * Posts have been filtered for tech-related keywords | Date | Title | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | 5/20/2025 | [**Qsing Palliative Care in Dialysis Settings**](https://www.physiciansweekly.com/qa-addressing-palliative-care-in-dialysis-settings/) | [[Physicians Weekly]] | | 5/5/2025 | [**Pharmacist-Led Care in Palliative Settings: Using Anticholinergics Thoughtfully and Compassionately**](https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/pharmacist-led-care-in-palliative-settings-using-anticholinergics-thoughtfully-and-compassionately) | [[Pharmacy Times]] | | 3/28/2025 | [**Palliative Care in Home Health: Misconceptions and Market Opportunities**](https://homehealthcarenews.com/2025/03/palliative-care-in-home-health-misconceptions-and-market-opportunities/) | [[Home Health Care News]] | | 3/5/2025 | [**How WesleyLife At Home's New Palliative Care Program Enhances Home Health Support**](https://homehealthcarenews.com/2025/03/how-wesleylife-at-homes-new-palliative-care-program-enhances-home-health-support/) | [[Home Health Care News]] | | 2/26/2025 | [**After the Crisis: The Role of Palliative Care in Stroke**](https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/after-crisis-role-palliative-care-stroke-2025a100050v) | [[Medscape]] | | 2/25/2025 | [**Home health patients, caregivers lack understanding of palliative care, researchers find**](https://www.mcknights.com/news/home-health-patients-caregivers-lack-understanding-of-palliative-care-researchers-find/) | [[McKnights Long Term Care News]] | | 1/21/2025 | [**MUHC Foundation launches $3 million palliative care campaign - Yahoo Finance**](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/muhc-foundation-launches-3-million-130000856.html) | [[Yahoo Finance]] | | 12/16/2024 | [**JAMA**](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2827918) | [[JAMA Network]] | | 12/4/2024 | [**Center to Advance Palliative Care Releases 2024 Serious Illness Scorecard: A State-By-State Look at Palliative Care Capacity**](https://www.prweb.com/releases/center-to-advance-palliative-care-releases-2024-serious-illness-scorecard-a-state-by-state-look-at-palliative-care-capacity-302321056.html) | [[PRWeb]] | | 12/4/2024 | [**Center to Advance Palliative Care Releases 2024 Serious Illness Scorecard: A State-By-State Look at Palliative Care Capacity**](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/center-advance-palliative-care-releases-160000910.html) | [[Yahoo Finance]] | | 11/28/2024 | [**Ensuring Equity in Access to Palliative Care**](https://www.ajmc.com/view/ensuring-equity-in-access-to-palliative-care) | [[AJMC]] | | 11/26/2024 | [**New HFSA Consensus Statement Provides Practical Guide for Implementing Palliative Care ...**](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-hfsa-consensus-statement-provides-practical-guide-for-implementing-palliative-care-with-heart-failure-patients-302316639.html) | [[PR Newswire]] | | 11/21/2024 | [**ACCC Hosts Online Expert Panel: Palliative Care in Oncology: Challenges and Opportunities**](https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/accc-hosts-online-expert-panel-palliative-care-in-oncology-challenges-and-opportunities) | [[Pharmacy Times]] | | 11/5/2024 | [**Black patients with heart failure are less likely to receive palliative care**](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-black-patients-heart-failure-palliative.html) | [[MedicalXpress]] | | 11/5/2024 | [**Study reveals low rates of palliative care for heart failure patients in the U.S.**](https://www.news-medical.net/news/20241105/Study-reveals-low-rates-of-palliative-care-for-heart-failure-patients-in-the-US.aspx) | [[News Medical Net]] | | 11/5/2024 | [**Black patients with heart failure are less likely to receive palliative care - Medical Xpress**](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-11-black-patients-heart-failure-palliative.html?deviceType=desktop) | [[MedicalXpress]] | | 11/5/2024 | [**Early Palliative Care May Curb Aggressive End-of-Life Care**](https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/early-palliative-care-may-curb-aggressive-end-life-care-2024a1000k8m) | [[Medscape]] | | 11/1/2024 | [**Palliative care is an overlooked global health priority**](http://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2387.short?rss=1) | [[BMJ]] | | 9/13/2024 | [**New initiative aims to set gold standards for palliative care training**](https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240913/New-initiative-aims-to-set-gold-standards-for-palliative-care-training.aspx) | [[News Medical Net]] | | 9/12/2024 | [**Quality indicators for palliative care established**](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-quality-indicators-palliative.html) | [[MedicalXpress]] | | 8/30/2024 | [**Palliative Care Market Foresees a Sluggish Road in the Foreseeable Future, with an ...**](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/palliative-care-market-foresees-sluggish-110000922.html) | [[Yahoo Finance]] | | 8/12/2024 | [**Stepped Palliative Care for Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer**](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2819643) | [[JAMA Network]] | | 6/3/2024 | [**Trial reveals benefits of 'stepped' palliative care for patients with advanced lung cancer**](https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-06-trial-reveals-benefits-palliative-patients.html) | [[MedicalXpress]] | | 6/2/2024 | [**Dr Ravi Parikh Presents Groundbreaking BE-a-PAL Data on Default Palliative Care Referrals**](https://www.ajmc.com/view/dr-ravi-parikh-presents-groundbreaking-be-a-pal-data-on-default-palliative-care-referrals) | [[AJMC]] | | 6/14/2017 | [**Project ECHO: An Effective Means of Increasing Palliative Care Capacity**](https://www.ajmc.com/view/project-echo-an-effective-means-of-increasing-palliative-care-capacity) | [[AJMC]] | ## Specialty Overview (Some LLM-derived content — please confirm with above primary sources) ### Key Players - **Rezilient Health**: Provides care coordination and health education, enhancing access to palliative care services. - **Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC)**: A national organization focused on improving the availability of quality, equitable healthcare for individuals with serious illnesses. - **Mass General Cancer Center**: Conducted studies on scalable palliative care delivery methods, particularly for advanced lung cancer. - **Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC)**: An organization enhancing the knowledge and skills of oncology professionals in palliative care. - **American Heart Association**: Provides guidelines emphasizing the integration of palliative care in managing cardiovascular diseases. - **WesleyLife**: A home health provider that has launched a new palliative care program to enhance support for patients with serious illnesses. - **McMaster University**: Recipient of funding to develop programs promoting earlier access to palliative care. - **American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine**: An organization focused on enhancing the quality of hospice and palliative care through leadership and education. - **Agape Care Group**: Recognized for its commitment to compassionate care in hospice and palliative services, expanding its presence through acquisitions. - **Justin Kullgren, PharmD**: A pharmacist discussing the complexities and challenges in palliative and hospice care, emphasizing treatment management and medication access. - **Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care**: A provider serving over 20,000 patients daily across seven states, focusing on hospice and palliative care services. - **Dr. Ravi Parikh**: A researcher evaluating hospice utilization and quality-of-life improvements in palliative care studies. - **MUHC Foundation**: Launched a campaign to enhance palliative care at the McGill University Health Centre, honoring Dr. Balfour Mount's legacy. - **Hospice Dynamix**: A pioneer in predictive analytics technology for hospice and palliative care, focusing on enhancing operational efficiencies and care quality. - **WTWH Healthcare**: Recognizes dynamic leaders in aging-related industries, including palliative care. - **Avextra**: An industry partner in the PsyPal study, focusing on psilocybin-assisted therapy for patients in palliative care. - **Children's Respite Homes of America**: An organization addressing the shortage of respite and palliative care homes for medically fragile children in the U.S. - **Enclara Pharmacia**: A company that has developed a bidirectional medication interface with MatrixCare to enhance efficiency and patient safety in hospice and palliative care. ### Partnerships and Collaborations - **IN-PEACE Study**: A randomized clinical trial integrating palliative care with advanced dementia care, demonstrating reduced emergency department visits. - **Project ECHO**: An initiative that connects frontline providers with specialist teams through teleECHO clinics to enhance knowledge and access to palliative care. - **Government of Canada and McMaster University**: Collaborating to develop educational materials and programs to enhance access to palliative care. - **PsyPal Study**: A multi-centre Phase 2 clinical trial involving 19 partner organizations from nine European countries to evaluate psilocybin-assisted therapy for palliative care patients. - **VNS Health and Healthcare Providers**: Working together to implement AI-driven assessments for palliative care needs. - **Regenstrief Institute**: Developing tools to integrate symptom assessment data into electronic health records (EHRs) to improve palliative care for nursing home residents. - **National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and National Association for Home Care & Hospice**: Established the National Alliance for Care at Home to improve continuity of care for home care recipients. - **Psyence Biomedical and Optimi Health Corp.**: A partnership for exclusive supply rights to GMP-certified psilocybin for drug development in palliative care. - **Crossroads Hospice & Agape Care Group**: Agape acquired select Crossroads locations, allowing for expanded hospice services in the southeast. - **Psyence Biomedical Ltd**: Partnered with Fluence and iNGEN to support clinical trials evaluating psilocybin in palliative care. - **Enclara Pharmacia & MatrixCare**: The launch of a bidirectional medication interface to streamline medication ordering and enhance patient safety for hospice providers. - **Forcura and Axxess**: Enhanced strategic partnership to improve connectivity to Axxess' palliative care platform through bi-directional API integration, streamlining workflows for patient onboarding and care coordination. - **WTWH Healthcare**: Recognizes leaders in healthcare sectors, including palliative care, through the Future Leaders Class of 2024. - **Compassus & OhioHealth**: Acquired ownership interests in home health and hospice locations, ensuring coordinated patient care. - **Alera Health, Affiliated Network Providers, and Aurora Behavioral Health**: Collaborating to enhance coordinated care for individuals with behavioral health conditions in Arizona. - **Oklahoma State University and Rezilient Health**: Collaborating to provide eligible faculty and staff access to primary and multispecialty care through CloudClinics. - **MyDirectives Leadership Appointments**: Appointment of Ron Wozny and Jessica Zan to enhance leadership and drive growth in digital advance care planning. ### Innovations, Trends, and Initiatives - **Palliative Care Needs Rounds**: A model implemented in care homes to enhance end-of-life care services and alleviate staff stress through person-centered planning and education. - **Stepped Palliative Care Model**: A new model that reduces the number of visits while maintaining quality of life for patients with advanced cancer. - **Home-Based Palliative Care**: Increasing demand for personalized treatment plans that cater to individual needs and preferences, improving quality of life. - **Virtual Palliative Care Study**: Research showing that early virtual palliative care is as effective as in-person care for patients with advanced lung cancer. - **Research from University of Stirling**: Suggests that implementing Palliative Care Needs Rounds can improve care quality for residents in their final months. - **Telehealth in Palliative Care**: Studies show that telehealth can effectively deliver palliative care, achieving similar outcomes to in-person visits. - **Palliative Care Market Growth**: The palliative care market is projected to grow from USD 10.7 billion in 2023 to USD 23.34 billion by 2032, driven by increasing chronic disease cases and an aging population. - **Embedding Palliative Care in Emergency Departments**: A pilot program at Corewell Health reduced inpatient mortality and readmission rates by embedding a palliative care practitioner in the emergency department. - **Telehealth Integration**: WesleyLife's palliative care program combines in-person and telehealth visits to provide personalized care. - **National Adult Palliative Care Policy (Ireland)**: Aims to improve palliative care services with a focus on integrated care and ICT infrastructure, backed by a significant budget. - **World Hospice and Palliative Care Day**: Highlights the importance of palliative care and advancements made since the 2014 World Health Assembly resolution. - **AI in Palliative Care**: Generative AI systems are being developed to assess and predict patients' palliative care needs, enhancing clinician decision-making. - **Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy**: The PsyPal study aims to integrate psychedelic therapies into mainstream healthcare for improving mental health in palliative care. - **Integration of Palliative Care in Stroke Management**: A new scientific statement from the American Heart Association emphasizes the need for palliative care principles in all stages of stroke treatment. - **2024 Serious Illness Scorecard**: Evaluates states' abilities to provide high-quality palliative care, highlighting disparities influenced by geography, race, and socioeconomic factors. - **Artificial Intelligence in Palliative Care**: The upcoming ASCO annual meeting will focus on the impact of AI on effective palliative care delivery. - **CODE-YAA@PC-EDU Initiative**: Aims to enhance palliative care education and training across 31 countries, developing culturally sensitive curricula. - **Symptom Assessment Tools**: The UPLIFT-AD study aims to enhance symptom assessment tools for non-verbal patients with dementia, facilitating timely palliative care interventions. - **Clinical Trials for Psilocybin**: Psyence Group is set to begin a Phase IIb clinical trial of psilocybin as a treatment for Adjustment Disorder in Palliative Care. - **Advancing Equity for Black Patients with Serious Illness**: A guide released by CAPC to implement meaningful changes in care for Black patients facing serious illnesses. ### Challenges and Concerns - **Inadequate Palliative Care in the UK**: Calls for improvement in palliative care services amidst legislative discussions on assisted dying. - **Access to Palliative Care**: Despite the proven benefits, access remains limited due to workforce shortages, inadequate funding, and low public awareness. - **Underutilization of Palliative Care**: Studies show significant underutilization of palliative care among patients with serious illnesses, such as pancreatic cancer and heart failure. - **Cultural Shift in Perception of Suffering**: A troubling trend where addressing suffering is increasingly viewed as synonymous with ending life, impacting the role of palliative care. - **Funding for Palliative Care**: Increased demand for palliative care services in England and Wales is not matched by adequate funding, raising concerns about reliance on charity support. - **Access Disparities**: Despite increasing demand for integrated palliative care, access remains limited, particularly for underserved populations. - **Legislative and Administrative Barriers**: Palliative care has faced challenges in development due to systemic barriers since its emergence. - **Disparities in Care**: Underrepresented racial and ethnic groups are less likely to receive palliative care, contributing to poorer health outcomes. - **Disparities in Access**: Only 14% of people in need globally receive palliative care, with significant disparities in access, especially in low and middle-income countries. - **Quality of Life Measurement**: Challenges in evaluating hospice utilization and quality-of-life improvements in palliative care studies, indicating a need for better-powered studies. - **Integration with Oncology Care**: Lack of clarity on care leadership during transitions to skilled nursing facilities highlights gaps in oncology and palliative care coordination. - **Regulatory and Resource Challenges**: Regulatory constraints and misconceptions about palliative care benefits exacerbate inequities in access to care. - **Increasing Demand**: The aging population and rising prevalence of chronic diseases are expected to significantly increase the demand for palliative care. - **Medicare Policies**: Current Medicare policies limit reimbursement for palliative care services in home healthcare, affecting provider integration into patient care. - **Legislative Changes in Assisted Dying**: Concerns that the focus on assisted dying could detract from the need for improved palliative care services. - **Knowledge Gaps**: A study revealed significant knowledge gaps about palliative care among home healthcare patients, caregivers, and clinicians, leading to poorer health outcomes. - **Medication Shortages**: Drug shortages, particularly of opioids like morphine, significantly impact palliative care, affecting patient quality of life and access to necessary medications. - **Assisted Dying Debate**: Concerns that the introduction of assisted dying could divert funding from palliative care, which is essential for ensuring patients do not choose death out of fear of pain. ## Related Topics [[Palliative Medicine]]; [[Hospice Care]]; [[Hospice Medicine]]