Perceptions of a Good Death in Children with Life-Shortening Conditions: An Integrative Review

Title

Perceptions of a Good Death in Children with Life-Shortening Conditions: An Integrative Review

Creator

Chong P H; Walshe C; Hughes S

Publisher

Journal of Palliative Medicine

Date

2019

Subject

children; death; Medline; article; child; female; human; male; palliative therapy; pediatric palliative care; systematic review; perception; Cinahl; data extraction; Embase; narrative; synthesis; Web of Science; PsycINFO; social care; health care system; life-shortening conditions

Description

Background: For children with life-shortening illness, achieving a "good death" can be a tacit goal. There is little understanding of how different stakeholders perceive what a "good death" might be. Objective(s): To review empirical literature to construct an understanding of a "good death" for children with life-shortening conditions. Design(s): An integrative review approach was followed. This involved searching across Embase, Web of Science, Medline, CINAHL, and PsycINFO (no date limits set), as well as identifying eligible studies tracking reference lists. Appraisal of shortlisted articles in full text was performed, followed by data extraction, synthesis, and interpretation. Result(s): Analysis of articles (n = 24) yielded a dynamic and layered narrative about a good death that revolved around three themes. (1) Level of needs: includes both practical support and aspirational goals such as "do everything." (2) The composite experience: whether positive or negative adds to produce a sense of suffering. (3) Control (preservation and letting go): moving from maintaining status quo to acceptance of the child's death, the experience of which also contributes to suffering. Framed using a health care system perspective, a concept map that interprets a good death in children with life-shortening conditions is represented. Conclusion(s): A single yet holistic understanding of a good death experienced in the "real world" is suggested. Pediatric health and social care providers, and even policy makers, can use this new understanding to conceive alternative approaches to enhance support to dying children and their families. Copyright � 2019, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Rights

Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).

Citation List Month

August 2019 List

Collection

Citation

Chong P H; Walshe C; Hughes S, “Perceptions of a Good Death in Children with Life-Shortening Conditions: An Integrative Review,” Pediatric Palliative Care Library, accessed March 18, 2024, https://pedpalascnetlibrary.omeka.net/items/show/16481.