Author and physician Sunita Puri talks to journalist Fran Smith about why journalists should be telling these stories — and how they can do so in a more thoughtful way.
Joshua’s House in Sacramento, California is slated to become the first homeless hospice center in the West Coast and one of only a handful in the country.
Poor people, people in isolated, rural areas and minorities are least likely to receive palliative care and counseling about end-of-life decisions. And one-third of U.S. hospitals don’t have a palliative care team.
Citing recent research, our Slow Medicine bloggers write that "we are still exposing far too many patients to an intensity of care at the end of life that leaves their family members with additional grief and regret."
Serving diverse communities requires more than translating the words of hospice into different languages. It demands a nuanced understanding of culture and values. Otherwise, hospice may look like withdrawing treatment and giving up hope.
The most valuable lessons I've learned have come from memories captured off the record.
A provision under the Affordable Care Act allows Medicare to penalize hospitals for high readmission rates within 30 days of discharge, particularly among patients with heart attacks, heart failure or pneumonia. So hospitals near and far have begun various initiatives.
It’s easy to fall into clichés and misinformation when writing about the end of life. Here are my five favorite ideas from last week's Association of Health Care Journalists webinar on the subject.
For most politicians dealing with Medicare reform, end-of-life cost is one issue that dare not speak its name. Here's what you need to know about this "third-rail" topic.
Maybe all our angst about dying is simply wrong-headed - and counter-productive for those we're concerned about.
