Scanning the Headlines: End-of-Life Care

Updated on July 22, 2016

Links to full-text articles are provided where available.
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Kodjak, A. (2016, June 15). Dying in a hospital means more procedures, tests and costs. Shots Health News from NPR. Retrieved from: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/06/15/481992191/dying-in-a-hospital-means-more-procedures-tests-and-costs

Sayer, MD, C. (2016, Apr. 26). "Time Spent at Home" - A Patient-Defined Outcome. United Kingdom: Camden Clinical Commissioning Group. Retrieved from: http://catalyst.nejm.org/time-spent-at-home-a-patient-defined-outcome

Gozalo, P., Plotzke, M., Mor, V., Miller, S., and Teno, J. (2015, May 7). Changes in Medicare costs with the growth of hospice care in nursing homes. New England Journal of Medicine. 372:1823-1831. Retrieved from: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1408705

Emery, G. (2015, May 6). Shift toward hospice care has increased Medicare costs. Reuters. Retrieved from: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/06/us-healthcare-costs-hospice-idUSKBN0NR2HE20150506

Jaffe, S. (2015, Apr. 23). Officials weigh options to hold down Medicare costs for hospice. Kaiser Health News. http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/officials-weighing-options-to-hold-down-medicare-costs-for-hospice

(2015, Apr). Information on Federal Oversight, Provider Implementation, and Prevalence. Washington: (GAO) Government Accountability Office. Retrieved from: http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/669907.pdf

Chiarchiaro, J., Arnold, R., and White, D. (2015, Mar 17). Reenigineering advance care planning to create scalable, patient- and family-centered interventions. Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA). 313(11):1103-1104. Retrieved from: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=2203806&utm_source=Silverchair%20Information%20Systems&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MASTER%3AJAMALatestIssueTOCNotification03%2F17%2F2015

Aligning Treatment with Patient Priorities in the Context of Progressive Disease for Use of the ICU. Chicago: American Hospital Association, 2006-2014. Retrieved from: http://www.ahaphysicianforum.org/resources/appropriate-use/ICU/index.shtml

Clark, C. Aggressive end-of-life care easing in hospitals. HealthLeaders, June 13, 2013. http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/HEP-293211/Aggressive-EndofLife-Care-Easing-in-Hospitals##

Goodman, D., and others. Tracking improvement in the care of chronically III patients: A Dartmouth Atlas brief on Medicare beneficiaries near the end of life. Dartmouth Institute, June 12, 2013. ttp://www.dartmouthatlas.org/downloads/reports/EOL_brief_061213.pdf

Rodak, S. 3 Steps to move toward patient-centered end of life care. Beckers Hospital Review. Mar. 21, 2013. http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/3-steps-to-move-toward-patient-centered-end-of-life-care.html

Carlson, M., and others. Hospices' enrollment policies may contribute to underuse of hospice care in the United States. Health Affairs. 31(12):2690-2698, Dec. 2012. http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/31/12/2690.abstract?etoc

Gallegos, A. Clearing up confusion on advance directives. amednews.com. Oct. 29, 2012. http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/10/29/prsa1029.htm

Advanced Illness Management Stategies. Chicago: American Hospital Association, Aug. 2012. http://www.aha.org/about/org/aim-strategies.shtml

Fonk, J., and others. The effect of advance directives on end-of-life cost experience. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved;23(3):1137-1156, Aug. 2012.

Weber, D. The end of life. H&HN. Apr. 24, 2012. http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag/HHNDaily/HHNDailyDisplay.dhtml?id=2340006926

Brousseau, R.T., and others. A multifaceted approach to spreading palliative care consultation services in California public hospital systems. Journal for Healthcare Quality;34(2):64-76, Mar./Apr. 2012.

Bach, P. When care is worth it, even if end if death. New York Times. Dec. 12, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/health/policy/when-care-is-worth-it-even-if-end-is-death.html?_r=1

Bradford, H. England's Approach to Improving End-of-Life Care: A Strategy for Honoring Patients' Choices. New York: Commonwealth Fund, July 19, 2011. http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Publications/Issue-Briefs/2011/Jul/Englands-Approach-to-Improving-End-of-Life-Care.aspx

Medicare Hospices That Focus on Nursing Facility Residents. Washington: Department of Health and Human Services, July 2011. http://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-02-10-00070.pdf

Clark, C. Hospice rates rise, but hospitalizations remain high. HealthLeaders Media, Feb. 16, 2011. http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/LED-262684/Hospice-Rates-Rise-But-Hospitalizations-Remain-High

Lubell, J. End-of-life-counseling provision under reform gets the ax: decision disappoints doctors. AIS Health.com. Jan. 24, 2011. http://www.aishealth.com/Bnow/hbd012411.html

Bercovitz, A., and others. Complementary and alternative therapies in hospice: the national home and hospice care survey: United States, 2007. National Health Statistics Reports. 33, Jan. 19, 2011. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr033.pdf

Robinson, C.A., and others. Issues in rural palliative care: views from the countryside. Journal of Rural Health. 26(1):78-84, Winter 2010.

Nearly One Third of Medicare Patients with Advanced Cancer Die in Hospitals and ICUs; About Half Get Hospice Care. Lebanon, NH: Dartmouth Institute, Nov. 16, 2010. http://www.dartmouthatlas.org/downloads/press/Cancer_report_release_111610.pdf

Analysis of U.S. Hospital Palliative Care Programs 2010 Snapshot. New York: Center to Advance Palliative Care, 2010.

Nicosia, N., and others. The Medicare hospice payment system: a consideration of potential refinements. Health Care Financing Review. 30(4):47-59, Summer 2009.

Vesely R. How will it end? More attention turns to care and its costs in the last years of life. Modern Healthcare. 39(29):30-31, July 20, 2009.

NHPCO Facts and Figures: Hospice Care in America. Alexandria, VA: National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Oct. 2008.

Hospice Facts and Statistics. Washington, DC: Hospice Association of America, Mar. 2008.