Infectious disease outbreaks can be one of the most significant challenges for palliative care, according to Joan Marston, Founder of PALCHASE, Palliative Care in Humanitarian Aid Situations and Emergencies. "Humanitarian health response organisations are working on integrating palliative care into their programmes and there is an increasing awareness of the need for palliative care practitioners to become more actively involved in training, advice, advocacy and the provision of palliative care," she writes.

St. Croix Hospice in Minnesota uses a machine learning system that can look at hospice data to find patients that may die within 7 to 10 days, and has used the data to make visits to patients during the final three days of life. Machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence, can be used to predict when a patient may need more intense levels of care or are at risk for hospitalization.

A psychosocial intervention given to caregivers under immense psychological stress was found to improve quality of life, caregiving burden, symptoms of anxiety and depression while increasing self-efficacy and coping skills, according to a study in Cancer. The intervention, BMT-CARE, integrated self-care and treatment-related education with cognitive-behavioral skills to promote coping by caregivers of patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplants.

An analysis of health records from active-duty service members found those who used nonpharmacologic therapies for chronic pain were less likely to have long-term adverse outcomes, compared with those who did not take them, researchers reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Former chair of the AAFP Commission on Health of the Public and Science David O'Gurek, M.D., said while the results may not be surprising, more needs to be done to determine which nonpharmacologic therapies do and do not work.

The most effective way for untrained community members to administer naloxone for an opioid overdose is through nasal spray, according to a study published in the journal Pharmacotherapy. Untrained study participants administered the drug more efficiently and faster via nasal spray than by using an intramuscular kit or an improvised nasal atomizer kit.

GoodRx co-founder Stephen Buck worked with technology expert Omar Mehmood and oncologists to develop the Cancer Survival Rates website to make it easier for people with cancer and their families to find information about cancer prognoses. "We want this to be a conversation starter," Buck said.

The Joint Commission reported that 15% of all nurses participating in a national nursing engagement survey had feelings of burnout, and a second survey found that burnout is a leading patient safety and quality concern. The Joint Commission identified several areas for organizations to work on to help address the problem of burnout, as well as steps to take to promote resilience.

Beginning in 2020, CMS is allowing Medicare Advantage plans to offer supplemental benefits that may include services to address social determinants of health. Community-based palliative care programs are positioned to help those with the greatest needs, according to a white paper from Turn Key Health.

The number of sepsis cases around the world in 2017 was estimated at 48.9 million, and the infection killed 11 million people that year, accounting for 19.7% of all global deaths, researchers reported in The Lancet. The study also found that youths younger than 5 accounted for 20.3 million cases of sepsis in 2017 and 2.9 million sepsis-related deaths.

HPNA is excited to announce POLARIS, a new state-of-the-art eLearning resource for hospice and palliative nurses. POLARIS provides 13 modules that are designed to offer essential practice knowledge for early career hospice and palliative nurses. The multimedia modules are crafted with short bursts of information that are incorporated into practical application through engaging learning activities. This self-paced eLearning can be purchased individually, as a total package, or as a complete orientation program that includes all 13 modules and learner & preceptor guides. Nursing Continuing Education hours awarded upon successful completion of each module. Special pricing is available for volume purchases through the Employer Partner Program. Learn more.

The Annual Assembly of Hospice and Palliative Care, presented by the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA) and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), is a 3-day event that brings together more than 3,400 of your colleagues and peers to share research, clinical best practices, and practice-related guidance. This year's Assembly will take place March 18-21 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif. Can't commit to attending the full conference? Check out the Preconference Only option on March 18! Learn more and register.