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Study examines the frequency of concurrent hospice and dialysis care among veterans with ESKD

Today, patients utilizing their Medicare Hospice Benefits with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are forced to make the traumatic choice between continuing dialysis or enrolling in hospice.

21 Oct 2022

If you’re worried about the environment, consider being composted when you die

Would you rather be buried or cremated when you die? If you feel the way I do, the answer is neither. I cringe at the thought of my body burning up at well over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit or being pumped full of toxic chemicals and spending the rest of eternity in a cramped box 6 feet underground.

11 Oct 2022

Vaccine effectiveness of a second mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster among nursing home residents

Researchers compared the effectiveness of double booster SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations and single booster vaccinations among nursing home residents in the US.

3 Oct 2022

Researchers compare end-of-life care in persons with and without dementia

Researchers have known that race and ethnicity play a role in the intensity of medical care at the end of life, but the difference is more pronounced among individuals with dementia, the researchers found.

30 Sep 2022

Newer-generation clot-busting drug outperforms traditional stroke treatment in many areas

A newer-generation clot-busting drug called tenecteplase outperforms the traditional treatment for ischemic strokes in several key areas, including better health outcomes and lower costs, according to a new study published today in the American Stroke Association's journal Stroke.

23 Sep 2022

New SIO-ASCO practice guideline addresses the use of integrative therapies for cancer pain management

A new joint practice guideline from the Society for Integrative Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. has been published to address gaps in healthcare providers' knowledge of how to safely and effectively treat common cancer symptoms and side effects using integrative medicine approaches.

19 Sep 2022

New study suggests metformin is associated with less severe COVID-19 across prediabetic individuals

In a new study, researchers illustrated that metformin was associated with decreased coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity among prediabetic patients.

1 Sep 2022

Hospices have become big business for private equity firms, raising concerns about end-of-life care

Hospice care, once provided primarily by nonprofit agencies, has seen a remarkable shift over the past decade, with more than two-thirds of hospices nationwide now operating as for-profit entities.

29 Jul 2022

Study shows that Omicron infections were associated with a substantially reduced risk of progression to severe clinical outcomes relative to Delta infections

Researchers compared COVID-19 severity outcomes among individuals infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variants.

13 Jun 2022

Hospice patients with dementia more likely to receive excellent care, study shows

While the hospice program was originally designed for patients with cancer, who are expected to die within six months, currently close to half of older adult hospice enrollees have a diagnosis of dementia.

6 Jun 2022

COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of cancer-related mortality in the U.S., study shows

According to a new study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS), the COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of cancer-related deaths by 3.2% in the United States from 2019- 2020.

31 May 2022

The impact of NSAIDs on COVID-19 severity

Researchers examine potential correlations between NSAID use and COVID-19 severity.

18 May 2022

Study shows massive variations in prescribing of “comfort kit” medications by hospice agencies

When a person nearing the end of their life enters hospice care, their hospice agency's doctors may prescribe a "comfort kit" of small amounts of medications that their caregivers can give them in case of urgent, distressing symptoms such as severe anxiety, agitation, delirium, nausea and more.

13 May 2022

New guideline provides guidance on the use of radiation therapy to treat patients with brain metastases

A new clinical guideline from the American Society for Radiation Oncology provides guidance on the use of radiation therapy to treat patients with brain metastases.

10 May 2022

Insight into Neurological Diagnosis in Children

In this interview, we speak to Amy Brin, MSN, MA, PCNS-BC, CEO of the Child Neurology Foundation, about the current landscape of neurological diagnosis in children and the importance of helping patients and their families through the diagnosis and treatment process.

6 May 2022

New laws let visitors see loved ones in health care facilities, even in an outbreak

Jean White’s mother has dementia and moved into a memory care facility near Tampa, Florida, just as coronavirus lockdowns began in spring 2020. For months, the family wasn’t allowed to go inside to visit.

8 Apr 2022

Northwestern scientists continue to advance the understanding of COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year, Northwestern Medicine scientists continue to help advance the understanding of the disease and its impact, from investigating antibody protection against COVID-19 reinfection to elevating women in academic research and highlighting racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 hospital mortality in Illinois.

28 Mar 2022

Biden’s blanket statement — ‘no more surprise billing’ — doesn’t quite cover it

During a Feb. 10 speech about lowering health care costs, President Joe Biden made a sweeping declaration that Americans would no longer need to worry about surprise medical bills.

1 Mar 2022

Researchers analyze the use of palliative care for hospitalized patients with both AKI and COVID-19

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of COVID-19 and is associated with a higher risk of death. A new study published in CJASN has examined the use of palliative care in patients with COVID-19 and AKI.

24 Feb 2022

Stroke patients have higher chance of better outcomes when treated at Comprehensive Stroke Centers

When comparing outcomes for acute ischemic stroke patients treated at various levels of stroke centers, patients who received care at Comprehensive Stroke Centers (CSC) or Thrombectomy-capable Stroke Centers (TSC) were more likely to receive rapid treatment with clot-busting medication and/or mechanical clot removal and be discharged home or to rehabilitation centers than patients treated at Primary Stroke Centers, according to preliminary research to be presented today at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2022.

12 Feb 2022