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According to newly published research, a program created to communicate the treatment preferences of those with advanced illness or frailty ensures those preferences are honored 94% of the time. The Program, called Physicians Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST), was launched in Oregon almost 20 years ago.
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In April 2010, the laptop computer of a hospice nurse in the Chicago area was stolen. The theft of a mobile device is not that unusual.
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Parents are more likely to choose aggressive chemotherapy for their children who are in the palliative stage of cancer than the health care professionals caring for the children, according to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
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As the baby boomers reach retirement age, the senior population in this country is growing by leaps and bounds.
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The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has announced July 30 to August 3, 2012 as the dates for the 2012 Volunteer Leadership Virtual Conference. Hosted on-line, the educational program is exclusively focused on hospice volunteerism.
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In response to an increasing demand for Spanish-language resources to educate Hispanic Americans about all aspects of chronic pain, the Baltimore, MD-based American Pain Foundation has produced a free brochure available in Spanish and English titled "Explain Your Pain."
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Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series that looks at effective media relations. This month, we look at tips and strategies for handling media relations during a crisis. Last month, proven strategies that result in media coverage of hospice events, services, and announcements were described.
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Most (83%) patients/surrogates stated they preferred full code status but only 4% could identify the components of CPR; 16% stated preferences that differed with the medical record.
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Payments to home health agencies (HHAs) are estimated to decrease by approximately 2.31% or $430 million in calendar year (CY) 2012, the net effect of a 1.4% payment update, the wage index update, and the case-mix coding adjustment, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS).
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Medicaid patients facing serious or life-threatening illnesses incurred $6,900 less in hospital costs if they received palliative care, compared with a similar group of patients who received usual care, according to a new study.