A UK study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found 97.8% of more than 9,000 adults wanted to die in a nonacute setting, such as at home, a care home or hospice, and 77.5% were able to die at their chosen site. More cancer patients chose to die in a hospice, compared with patients with other diagnoses.

The CMS launched its Hospice Compare website this week, including data from almost 4,000 hospice providers and covering seven quality measures on hospice and palliative care that are endorsed by the National Quality Forum. Most hospices scored in the top quality range, however, raising questions about how useful the comparisons will be for consumers.

A tool has been developed to help clinicians discuss spiritual well-being with cancer patients in palliative care, regardless of the patient's specific religious faith. A report in the European Journal of Cancer Care noted the tool has been validated in 14 countries and 10 languages.

Older cancer patients rated their physical abilities and mental health higher than their caregivers did, according to a study in The Oncologist. Disparities in assessments of physical function were associated with increased caregiver burden.

Some six years after treatment for cancer, almost half of 512 women reported persistent symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, which adversely affected physical function, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. CIPN was associated with reduced physical function and gait speed, as well as an increase in falls.

There isn't much evidence that medical marijuana helps with chronic pain or post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a pair of research reviews by the Veterans Health Administration. "The current studies highlight the real and urgent need for high-quality clinical trials in both of these areas," says Vanderbilt University Medical Center psychiatry researcher Sachin Patel.

A higher feeling of purpose in life among in adults ages 50 and older was associated with a reduced risk of weak grip strength and slow walking speed, researchers reported in JAMA Psychiatry. Researchers said other studies have shown that having a higher sense of purpose in life may make it more likely that people engage in healthier behaviors.

More than 800 ICD-10 code changes that were approved by the CMS and the CDC for fiscal 2017 will be implemented Oct. 1, according to a blog written by Jerris Heaton, marketing coordinator at ChartLogic. These code changes, which include 123 deleted codes, 273 revised codes and 419 added codes, will be in effect through the end of September 2018, according to Heaton.

A CompHealth study found that many older physicians are reluctant to retire, saying they would miss the social component of their work. Many physicians postpone retirement to age 68, about five years longer than the average retirement age in the US, and those who decide to retire say financial security and time for personal activities factor in to their decisions.

EHR access helps emergency medical services organizations improve clinical decision-making during high-stakes transitions of care, and allows long-term post-acute care facilities to improve care coordination between providers and prescribers, experts say. Integrating EHR use and adopting health information exchange can also boost care management and collaboration among physicians in specialty care facilities.

Mark your calendar for Wednesday, Sept. 6, for a FREE webinar on safe opioid prescribing. Presented by Dr. Ronald Crossno and Dr. Daniel Fischberg, this webinar will tackle this public health epidemic and is compliant with the ER/LA Opioid Analgesics Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy (REMS) education requirements. Preregistration is required.

Are you ready? The Essentials books are on their way. Nine volumes, new and great content, additional learning modules, The UNIPAC, 4th edition, is becoming Essential Practices in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 5th edition, also known as Essentials. This newly updated edition features new and revised content with updated cases to help apply this knowledge to your practice. Learn more.