Abstract Context: Palliative sedation practices evolved in France when the Claeys-Leonetti law passed in 2016 authorized patient-requested continuous deep sedation (CDS) until death. Its implementation in the pediatric setting is less frequently…
This study aims to understand the experiences of professionals involved in caring for families of children with life-limiting illnesses to ascertain unmet needs, access issues and expectations of services.A phenomenological approach comprising…
Background: Pediatric patients often undergo surgery during terminal admissions. However, the involvement and timing of palliative care consults in caring for these patients has not been readily described. Objective: To describe the presence and…
Only a few acute hospital inpatient units dedicated to pediatric palliative care (PPC) patients exist today. Clinical data on the patients and care provided at specialized acute PPC inpatient units (PPCUs) are scarce. This study aims at…
BACKGROUND: The Quality of Care Collaborative Australia (QuoCCA) builds capability in the generalist and specialist paediatric palliative care (PPC) workforce throughout Australia. It supports regional and community services to provide care close to…
CONTEXT: Hospital-based pediatric palliative care (PPC) may help optimize referrals to community-based hospice and home-based palliative care (HBPC) for children with serious illness, yet little is known about their referral practices.…
Pediatric palliative care (PPC) provides an extra layer of support for families caring for a child with complex heart disease as these patients often experience lifelong morbidities with frequent hospitalizations and risk of early mortality. PPC…
BACKGROUND: The quality of adult end-of-life (EOL) cancer care has benefited from quality measures, but corresponding pediatric measures are lacking. Therefore, the authors used a validated expert panel method to recommend EOL quality measures for…
CONTEXT: Children with incurable cancer may participate in research studies at the end of life (EOL). These studies create knowledge that can improve the care of future patients. OBJECTIVE: To describe stakeholder perspectives regarding research…
Working alongside local stakeholders, members of the French-African Pediatric Oncology Group developed a 3-year program to train pediatric oncology teams from 15 French-speaking countries in Africa in using analgesics and providing palliative care.…
BACKGROUND: Parents of dying children face unique challenge and expect compassionate support from health care providers (HCPs). This study explored the experiences of the parents and HCPs about the end-of-life care and breaking bad news and related…
CONTEXT: Outcomes for children with cancer in sub-Saharan Africa (SAA) are dismal due to delayed diagnosis and limited access to curative therapy. When establishing a pediatric hematology-oncology (PHO) program in low-resource settings, early…
BACKGROUND: Professional education pertaining to end-of-life care with pediatric oncology patients is limited. Pediatric trainees learn about end-of-life conversations largely from the provider's perspective. Bereaved parents can inform the education…
BACKGROUND: Advanced childhood cancer, a condition with no available cancer-focused treatment options, greatly impacts Quality of Life (QoL). We need appropriate assessment strategies to select adapted treatment targets, improve care and optimize…
10.1542/6315738932112Video AbstractPEDS-VA_2022-0589056315738932112Many patients receiving pediatric palliative care (PPC) present with surgically treatable problems. The role of surgery in the care of these patients, however, has not yet been…
In this article, I sort through some of the confusion surrounding what constitutes the controversial notion of a "good death" for children. I distinguish, first, between metaphysical and practical disagreements about the notion of a good death, and,…
Background: Bereaved parents value receiving support from their children's health care teams. Pediatric residents are important members of the teams that care for children at end of life and can play a meaningful role in communication with bereaved…
CONTEXT: Public and patient involvement is increasingly becoming an expectation of research funders and policy makers. Not all areas of health research are public-facing. Here, we outline an approach for building the skills and developing the…
INTRODUCTION: Pediatric end of life (EOL) care skills are a high acuity, low occurrence skill set required by pediatric clinicians. Gaps in education and competence for this specialized care can lead to suboptimal patient care and clinician distress…
Children with complex chronic conditions (CCCs) and their families deserve high-quality pediatric palliative care (PPC) throughout their illness trajectory, including at end of life (EOL). Standard EOL quality measures (QM) have only recently been…
Pediatric palliative care, including end-of-life care, remains a relatively new area of interdisciplinary clinical practice and research. Improving the multifaceted and complex care of children and their families involves research that (1) documents…
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge of the educational preparation and attitudes of registered nurses at a southeastern pediatric hospital toward caring for dying children and their families. DESIGN AND METHODS: A descriptive…
Many NICUs have reached an inflection point where infant deaths following limitation of life-sustaining treatments outnumber those following unsuccessful resuscitations, and many infants who survive continue to require intensive supports. Families of…
BACKGROUND: For children with life-limiting conditions home care is a key component of pediatric palliative care. However, poor information is available on service coverage and in particular on country-specific pediatric palliative home care…
The question of optimal disposition for children with complex medical and social circumstances has long challenged the well-intentioned clinician. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic created unique difficulties for patients, families, and health…
Background and Objectives: Historically marginalized religious and cultural groups are at risk for lower quality of care than majority groups. No study to date specifically queries Muslim experiences with the American health care system (AHCS). We…
acial and ethnic inequities are well documented in medicine (1). Patients from historically marginalized groups have consistently reported medical mistrust, poor communication, and perceived discrimination as barriers to the care that they receive…
BACKGROUND: Paediatric palliative care provides supportive care to children with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses throughout the disease trajectory. Up to 42% of children receiving palliative care in Canada will die within a freestanding…
BACKGROUND: Most children needing palliative care (PC) live in low- and middle-income countries. In Colombia, pediatric palliative care (PPC) knowledge among healthcare professionals (HCPs) is lacking as PPC is not included in the educational…
We aimed to identify characteristics associated with postdischarge health resource use in children without medical complexity who survived an episode of prolonged mechanical ventilation for respiratory illness. We hypothesized that longer durations…
Background/aims: Simulation allows clinicians to experience a replication of reality, enabling feasible and ethical study of complex phenomena, such as communication and care around the end of life. There is a paucity of literature describing how to…
The integration of the child or young person (CYP) in conversations around advance care planning (ACP) is an important area of paediatric practice. These discussions provide CYP with the opportunity to voice their values, goals and preferences,…
Children with rare or life-limiting chronic conditions and their families are at high risk of psychosocial distress. However, despite its impact on patient and family health and functioning, psychosocial distress and its antecedents may not routinely…
BACKGROUND: Despite potential benefits of medication therapy management (MTM) for complex pediatric patients, implementation of pediatric MTM services is rare. OBJECTIVES: To describe how a standardized pediatric MTM model identifies potential…
After decades of setbacks, gene therapy (GT) is experiencing major breakthroughs. Five GTs have received US regulatory approval since 2017, and over 900 others are currently in development. Many of these GTs target rare pediatric diseases that are…
CONTEXT: Polypharmacy is often appropriate for children with life-limiting conditions but is associated with an increase in hospitalisations and inappropriate prescribing, and can affect the quality of life of children and their families as they…
Background: Advance care planning is considered best practice for children and young people with life-limiting conditions but there is limited evidence how parents' perceive, understand and engage with the process. Aim(s): To understand parents'…
Background Resuscitation of a child is one of the most critical times that parents need support, and parental support is fundamental to providing family-centered care in high acuity settings. The aim of this systematic review was to appraise and…
INTRODUCTION: Many children are born with life-limiting illnesses. Medical decision-making for these children by caregivers is complex and causes significant psychosocial distress, which can be partially alleviated by effective communication with…
CONTEXT: Caring for a child who will die from a life-limiting illness is one of the most difficult experiences a parent may face. Pediatric palliative care (PPC) has grown as a specialty service to address the unique needs of children and families…
