Latest Kaiser Health News Stories
California Tests Electronic Database For End-Of-Life Wishes
San Diego and Contra Costa counties are piloting a registry so emergency responders can know quickly how much treatment patients want.
Colorado Wrestles With Ethics Of Aid-In-Dying As Vote Looms
Proposition 106, on Colorado’s ballot next month, would allow doctors to prescribe a lethal dose of medication to people who have less than six months to live. A recent poll shows strong support for the measure.
Terminally Ill Patients Don’t Use Aid-In-Dying Laws To Relieve Pain
Ending pain and suffering has helped several states pass “right-to-die” laws, but dying patients are more concerned about controlling how they die and dying with dignity.
Young Boy’s Struggle To Survive Sparked Push For Drugs For Terminally Ill
Ten-year-old Josh Hardy died last month. His struggle to survive helped to spur laws to get unapproved drugs to the terminally ill.
Twenty dying people, at peace with their mortality, shared their views on life, love and death with a Los Angeles artist for an exhibit at the Museum of Tolerance.
Key Steps Can Help Patients Recover From A Stay In The ICU
Chances of recovering after an ICU stay rise when families keep patients oriented, stay on top of care plans and encourage seniors to get moving.
Patients With Dementia Present Communication Challenges In Hospice Care
Dementia complicates pain management in hospice patients because communication is difficult and the cause of pain can be hard to identify, researchers report.
Younger Seniors Amass More End-Of-Life Care Than Oldest Americans, Study Finds
A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis sheds new light on a widely-held belief about the costs of end-of-life care.
Palliative Care Sometimes Adds To Families’ Stress Burden, Study Finds
A study in JAMA finds palliative care counseling for families of chronically ill patients is not routinely needed by all and sometimes increases symptoms of post-traumatic stress.
End-Of-Life Care Better For Patients With Cancer, Dementia: Study Finds
Researchers concluded that physicians and other health professionals are less likely to know or accommodate the advanced-care preferences of patients with conditions such as renal disease or congestive heart failure, among others.
Death Talk Is Cool At This Festival
How to make thinking about death less somber? Hold a festival! Indianapolis did. Through art, film and book talks, residents explored everything from bucket lists to advance directives and cremation.
Most Doctors Unsure How To Discuss End-of-Life Care, Survey Says
They recognize the responsibility, but some may need training.
Some experts say this opportunity has not been realized, but advocates and policymakers are focusing on fixes that would make the digital versions of end-of-life planning documents easy for health professionals to locate.
Doctors Ponder Delicate Talks As Medicare Pays For End-Of-Life Counsel
Physicians can now bill Medicare $86 for up to 30 minutes of counseling given to patients about end-of-life planning, but many doctors may need training to have those talks.
For Terminally Ill In California, End Of Suffering Is Now In Sight
Terminal patients and doctors prepare themselves for California’s new assisted suicide law, which takes effect June 9.
Report Details Senior Health Care That Misses The Mark
New research from the Dartmouth Atlas Project identifies areas where older patients get care that doesn’t meet guidelines or their own goals.
Aid-In-Dying Laws Only Accentuate Need For Palliative Care, Providers Say
Doctors who minister to seriously ill patients say the flurry of aid-in-dying laws show just how afraid people are of a painful death, and how important it is to ease their suffering.
Deficiencies In End-Of-Life Care Extend Across Ethnicities
A small study in the San Francisco Bay area suggests that various ethnicities share some of the same goals when it comes to end-of-life care. Often, though, they don’t get what they want.
Poll Finds Overwhelming Support For Medicare Paying For End-Of-Life Talks
The plan to include funding in the health law for these discussions between doctors and patients was vehemently opposed by some Republicans, but 8 of 10 Americans support the practice.
Hospital Workers Find Solace In Pausing After A Death
Sometimes, no matter how hard emergency workers try, nothing can save a patient. One nurse says after the frenzy stops, taking time to reflect on that death helps him cope. And the idea is spreading.
