The capability of effectively communicating is crucial when providing palliative care, especially when the patient is a child. Communication among healthcare professionals with the child and family members must be clear, concise, and consistent. Use…
AIM: The ability to communicate serious news to patients and families in a caring and compassionate way is a critical skill for physicians. This study explores the impact of a novel communication skills workshop that included bereaved parents in role…
OBJECTIVES: Pediatric palliative care has seen the adoption of several service provision models, yet there is minimal literature describing them. Canuck Place Children's Hospice (CPCH) is North America's first freestanding pediatric hospice. This…
Internal data from the sole pediatric hospice in British Columbia were utilized to investigate mortality trends among children dying from life-threatening conditions. Characteristics of the sample (hospice) were compared to that of the population…
Recent studies and consensus statements have expressed the need to involve palliative care services in the care of children with progressive neuromuscular diseases (PMD), yet there have been no reviews of the utilization of palliative care services…
BACKGROUND: Continuity of care is a key component of care in complex and chronic conditions. Despite its importance, it is often absent in chronic-disease management. One challenge has been identifying tools to measure care continuity. In one context…
This article describes the rationale for planning and conducting a qualitative pilot study about families' transition to a Canadian paediatric hospice. Discussion includes: background information and a literature review pertinent to the study; debate…
There are more migrants, refugees, and immigrants adrift in the world today than at any time in the recent past. Doctors and hospitals must care for people from many different cultures, countries, and religious backgrounds. We sometimes find our…
BACKGROUND: Many adult patients with cancer who know they are dying choose less intense care; additionally, high-intensity care is associated with worse caregiver outcomes. Little is known about intensity of end-of-life care in children with cancer.…
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…
Communication between pediatric providers, patients, and their families is a key component of for children with serious illness, with broad implications for patient and family outcomes. Recommendations for effective and compassionate palliative…
Death from cancer is often painful. Usually, the pain can be relieved in ways that allow patients to remain awake and alert until the end. Sometimes, however, the only way to relieve pain is to sedate patients until they are unconscious. This method…
BACKGROUND: End-of-life care (EOLC) discussions and decisions are common in pediatric oncology. Interracial differences have been identified in adult EOLC preferences, but the relation of race to EOLC in pediatric oncology has not been reported. We…
Background: The care of pediatric patients with cancer and their families is complex and evolving. Despite significant advances in outcomes, symptoms of disease and complications of therapy continue to cause pain and other symptoms that could be…
Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the experience of community palliative care nurses providing home care to children. Method: A qualitative study was conducted at the 3 community palliative care provider organizations in greater Kuala…
Introduction: In certain patients, "directives on the adequacy of therapeutic effort" (DAET) known as advanced care planning are important tools to align medical care to patient's and family's objectives of care. Purpose: To describe characteristics…
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Newborns are at the highest risk of dying around the time of birth, due to intrapartum-related complications. Our study's objective was to improve adherence to the Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) neonatal resuscitation protocol…
Background: Parents of children with a life-limiting disease have to rely on themselves at home while adequate paediatric palliative care is lacking. In several countries, paediatric palliative care teams are introduced to ensure continuity and…
BACKGROUND: The increasing number of children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions requires an individualized approach and additional supportive care in hospitals. However, these patients' characteristics and their prevalence in a…
BACKGROUND: In 2007, the European Association of Palliative Care (EAPC) provided a comprehensive set of recommendations and standards for the provision of adequate pediatric palliative care. A number of studies have shown deficits in pediatric…
OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of symptoms of acute stress reactions (ASR) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in paediatric trainees following their involvement in child death. DESIGN: A survey designed to identify trainees' previous…
Objectives: Anticipating case management is considered crucial in pediatric palliative care. In 2012, our children�s university hospital initiated a specialized pediatric palliative care team (PPCT) to deliver inbound and outbound case management for…
BACKGROUND: Pediatric palliative care (PPC) is the active total care of children suffering from life-threatening illnesses. Palliative care includes symptom management, psychosocial support, and end-of-life care. Despite significant advances in…
Objective: To map and describe the geographic distribution of pediatric hospice care need versus supply in California over a 4-year time period (2007-2010). Methods: Multiple databases were used for this descriptive longitudinal study. The sample…
The death of a child can have a devastating effect on the family. The pediatrician has an important role to play in supporting the parents and any siblings still in his or her practice after such a death. Pediatricians may be poorly prepared to…
OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to assess and compare the usefulness, helpfulness, and stress associated with reviewing a previously adapted advance care planning guide, My Thoughts, My Wishes, My Voice, in comparison with the widely used…
BACKGROUND: Life-limiting conditions (LLCs) describe diseases with no reasonable hope of cure that will ultimately be fatal. For children with these diseases, palliative care services should be available but few data are available to estimate the…
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Advance care discussions (ACD) occur infrequently or are initiated late in the course of illness. Although data exist regarding barriers to ACD among the care of adult patients, few pediatric data exist. The goal of this…
Communication with children who have life-threatening illnesses is a major challenge. Communication practices are greatly influenced by factors such as the child’s age, the parents’ wishes, and the cultural norms. This article presents the case…
Objectives: To demonstrate feasibility and estimate the effect of an intervention to increase parental involvement in infant pain management in the NICU on parents' stress and postdischarge parenting competence and confidence. Methods: The study…
OBJECTIVE: To describe demographic and clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients who received hospital-based pediatric palliative care (PPC) consultations. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Prospective observational cohort study of all patients…
The number of births in the United States decreased between 2007 and 2008 (preliminary estimate: 4 251 095). Birth rates declined among all women aged 15 to 39 years; the decrease among teenagers reverses the increases seen in the previous 2 years.…
Most pediatricians have experienced uneasy interactions involving patients and/or their parents. The majority of literature on this topic reflects encounters in adult medicine, without providing much information for pediatricians who also face this…
The care of children in the U.S. with life-limiting illnesses is inadequate. Misallocated resources, flawed assumptions and models of care, and a lack of appropriate professional education foster a costly, inefficient system that falls short of its…
OBJECTIVE: To describe goals of care for children with complex, life-limiting conditions and to assess the variables that may influence these goals. METHODS: Goals of care were elicited from the parents and children with complex, life-limiting…
The purpose of this study was to determine symptom prevalence, characteristics, and distress in children with cancer. The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) 10–18, a 30-item patient-rated instrument adapted from a previously validated adult…
Objective. Neonates and infants have the highest death rate in the pediatric population, yet there is a paucity of data about their end-of-life care and whether a palliative care service can have an impact on that care. The objective of this study…
