Introduction: Pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) confers a high risk of morbidity and mortality and palliative care (PC) integration in HCT may improve outcomes. PC services can aid in advanced care planning, symptom management, and…
Context Early integration of palliative care (PC) in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has demonstrated benefits, yet barriers remain, including perceived lack of patient/caregiver receptivity despite no data on attitudes toward PC and limited…
BACKGROUND: End-of-life care (EOLC) discussions and treatment-related decisions, including phase 1 trial enrollment, in patients with incurable disease are complex and can influence the quality of EOLC received. The current study was conducted in…
BACKGROUND: The demonstrated benefit of integrating palliative care (PC) into cancer treatment has triggered an increased need for PC services. The trajectory of integrating PC in comprehensive cancer centers, particularly pediatric centers, is…
Importance: Early palliative care integration for cancer patients is now touted as the optimal care model, yet significant barriers often prevent its implementation. A perceived barrier, especially for pediatric oncology patients, is the notion that…
BACKGROUND: Prior research has demonstrated that the presence of regret and unfinished business is associated with poorer adjustment in bereavement. Though there is a growing literature on these constructs among caregivers of adult patients, the…
BACKGROUND: FAmily CEntered (FACE) Advance Care Planning helps family decision makers to understand and honor patients' preferences for future health care, if patients cannot communicate. Spiritual well-being is a key domain of pediatric oncology…
Context Many pediatric hospitals offer legacy interventions for families to promote coping and support grief prior to and following the death of a child. Despite this practice, parent perceptions of the value of legacy activities are not well…
To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) from the time of diagnosis until disease progression in a cohort of children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). The assessment was collected from the perspectives of the child and their…
10053Background: While great strides have transpired in pediatric cancer management in high-income countries (HICs), more than 80% of all children with cancer live in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs),where fewer than 20% will be cured. The…
IMPORTANCE: Early integration of pediatric palliative care (PPC) for children with cancer is critical for the quality of life of both patient and family. To improve access to PPC in resource-limited settings, barriers to early integration must be…
BACKGROUND: Pediatric palliative care (PPC) is a priority to improve pediatric hematology oncology (PHO) care in Eurasia. However, there are limited regional opportunities for PPC education. We describe the adaptation and implementation of a…
Importance: The World Health Organization (WHO) designates early integration of palliative care as an ethical responsibility in the treatment of children with serious illness. Although structural barriers may influence provision of pediatric…
Context: The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has profoundly impacted the provision of pediatric palliative care (PPC) interventions including goals of care discussions, symptom management, and end-of-life care. Objective: Gaining understanding of the…
BACKGROUND: Bereavement after the death of a child is devastating and associated with worse physical and psychosocial well-being in parents. Evidence suggests that parents desire and benefit from support provided by other bereaved parents. To foster…
PURPOSE: The burden of cancer disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries. Low 5-year survival figures for children with cancer in low-income countries are due to late presentation at diagnosis, treatment abandonment, absence of…
The effect of pediatric advance care planning (pACP) on the sustainability of end-of-life treatment preference congruence between adolescents with cancer and their families has not been examined.To evaluate the longitudinal efficacy of the…
Outcomes 1. Review the limited literature on barriers to provision of pediatric hospice care to children in the community and define the challenge of better equipping community-based hospice nurses to care for pediatric patients 2. Describe outcomes…
CONTEXT: Integration of palliative care (PC) into pediatric cancer care is considered best practice by national oncology and pediatric organizations. Optimal strategies for PC integration remain understudied, although growing evidence suggests that…
BACKGROUND: Education and training for interdisciplinary pediatric providers requires training in principles of palliative and end-of-life (EOL) care. The experiences of bereaved parents can inform and enhance palliative care educational curricula in…
BACKGROUND: Medical trainees consistently report suboptimal instruction and poor self-confidence in communication skills. Despite this deficit, few established training programs provide comprehensive, pediatric-specific communication education,…
Parents who experience the loss of a child have unique and valuable insights into the grief journey and can help health care providers identify key components intrinsic to the development, implementation, and maintenance of a comprehensive…
BACKGROUND: Adolescent and young adult oncology (AYAO) patients often receive intensive medical care and experience significant symptoms at the end of life (EOL). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the characteristics of AYAO patients aged 15-26…
BACKGROUND: The death of a child is a devastating event that results in profound grief and significant psychosocial and physical morbidities in parents. The parental grief journey is a complex phenomenon necessitating the utilization of newer models…
BACKGROUND: Bereaved parents experience significant psychosocial and health sequelae, suggesting that this population may benefit from the ongoing extension of support and resources throughout the grief journey. The interaction of hospital staff with…
PURPOSE:The early grief experience of parents of children who died of cancer remains understudied. Understanding psychosocial symptomology and functioning of parents early in their bereavement is essential to developing supportive interventions aimed…
BACKGROUND: The interaction of health care providers and hospital staff with patients and families at the end of life affects the parental grief experience. Both verbal and nonverbal communication are key components of this interaction. OBJECTIVE:…
BACKGROUND: The impact of pediatric palliative care (PPC) is well established for children with chronic complex diseases. However, PPC likely also benefits previously healthy children with acute life-threatening conditions. OBJECTIVE: To determine…
CONTEXT: Pediatric patients with solid tumors can have a significant symptom burden that impacts quality of life (QoL) and end-of-life care needs. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated outcomes and symptoms in children with solid tumors and compared patterns of…
