Specialized home palliative care for adults and children: differences and similarities

Nursing activities for health promotion in palliative home care: an integrative review

Palliative care in community contexts is undergoing significant change as a result of public policy and new models of care, which link health promotion principles with palliative care practices. These models support the creation of partnerships between formal care structures and the communities in which care is provided. Given the central role of nurses in the institutional delivery of palliative care, particularly in the home, it is important to provide a systematic description of the activities of nurses that fall within the principles of health promotion. The objective was to describe the diverse range of nursing activities for health promotion that are provided in the palliative home care setting. This is an integrative review. Fifty-five studies listed in the MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE databases, and published between 1999 and December 2022, were identified. Data analysis and presentation of the results were guided by Kellehear's Health-Promoting Palliative Care (HPPC) model. Six themes were identified to describe nursing activities for health promotion in the context of palliative home care: creating a meaningful relationship, supplying medical information, promoting self-care throughout the trajectory, providing emotional support, involving professional or community services and supporting change. The findings point to nurses focusing more on the individual context and on direct care. The relationship with communities in which they work remains unidirectional. However, some HPPC principles are relevant to nursing activities through the contextualization of nurses' actions and their moral responsibility to work towards the respect of patient's values. Being poorly described, how nurses can truly engage their practice towards health-promoting principles, such as the enhancement of support and control over their lives for people living with serious illness, still requires further empirical research.

Palliative care for children with central nervous system tumors: results of a Spanish multicenter study

BACKGROUND

Brain tumors represent the most common cause of cancer-related death in children. Few studies concerning the palliative phase in children with brain tumors are available.

OBJECTIVES

(i) To describe the palliative phase in children with brain tumors; (ii) to determine whether the use of palliative sedation (PS) depends on the place of death, the age of the patient, or if they received specific palliative care (PC).

METHODS

Retrospective multicenter study between 2010 and 2021, including children from one month to 18 years, who had died of a brain tumor.

RESULTS

228 patients (59.2% male) from 10 Spanish institutions were included. Median age at diagnosis was 5 years (IQR 2-9) and median age at death was 7 years (IQR 4-11). The most frequent tumors were medulloblastoma (25.4%) and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) (24.1%). Median number of antineoplastic regimens were 2 (range 0-5 regimens). During palliative phase, 52.2% of the patients were attended by PC teams, while 47.8% were cared exclusively by pediatric oncology teams. Most common concerns included motor deficit (93.4%) and asthenia (87.5%) and communication disorders (89.8%). Most frequently prescribed supportive drugs were antiemetics (83.6%), opioids (81.6%), and dexamethasone (78.5%). PS was administered to 48.7% patients. Most of them died in the hospital (85.6%), while patients who died at home required PS less frequently (14.4%) (p = .01).

CONCLUSION

Children dying from CNS tumors have specific needs during palliative phase. The optimal indication of PS depended on the center experience although, in our series, it was also influenced by the place of death.

Addressing 10 Myths About Pediatric Palliative Care

With advances in biomedical sciences, a growing number of conditions affecting children have evolved from being considered life-limiting to almost chronic diseases. However, improvements in survival rates often come at a cost of increased medical complexity and lengthy hospitalizations, which can be associated with a poorer quality of life. This is where pediatric palliative care (PPC) can play a significant role. PPC is a specialty of healthcare that focuses on the prevention and relief of suffering in children with serious conditions. Unfortunately, despite the well-identified need for PPC services across pediatric specialties, multiple misconceptions persist. Common myths about palliative care are identified and deconstructed in light of the most recent evidenced-based references in the field to provide guidance to healthcare providers to address these. PPC is often associated with end-of-life care, loss of hope, and cancer. Some healthcare providers and parents also believe that information like diagnosis should be withheld from children for their emotional protection. These examples of misconceptions hinder the integration of pediatric palliative care and its additional layer of support and clinical expertise. PPC providers have advanced communication skills, are able to instill hope in the face of uncertainty, are trained to initiate and implement individualized pain and symptom management plans, and understand how to improve the quality of life in children with serious illnesses. Improved awareness about the scope of PPC is needed to ensure that children benefit from the maximum expertise and support throughout their complex health trajectories.

Pediatric palliative care across continents: Communication and shared-decision-making

Despite the significant growth and development of pediatric palliative care worldwide, significant challenges remain. One of those challenges is shared decision-making, by which parents, families and professionals all work together to develop a plan of care that reflects both the medical facts and the patient's family's values. Shared decision-making about palliative care and about death and dying may mean different things in different cultures and countries. It is therefore important to learn and compare practices around the world.

Implementation and evaluation of a palliative care training unit for EMS providers

Background

The prevalence of children with life-limiting conditions (LLCs) is rising. It is characteristic for these children to require 24/7 care. In emergencies, families must decide to call the emergency medical service (EMS) or a palliative care team (PCT)-if available. For EMS teams, an emergency in a child with an LLC is a rare event. Therefore, EMS providers asked for a training unit (TU) to improve their knowledge and skills in pediatric palliative care.

Aim of the study

The questions were as follows: whether a TU is feasible, whether its integration into the EMS training program was accepted, and whether an improvement of knowledge can be achieved.

Methods

We designed and implemented a brief TU based on findings of a previous study that included 1,005 EMS providers. The topics covered were: (1) basics in palliative home care, (2) theoretical aspects, and (3) practical aspects. After participating in the TU, the participants were given a questionnaire to re-evaluate their learning gains and self-confidence in dealing with emergencies in pediatric patients with LLC.

Results

782 (77.8%) of 1,005 participants of the previous study responded to the questionnaire. The average age was 34.9 years (±10.7 years SD), and 75.3% were male. The average work experience was 11.4 years (±9.5 years SD), and 15.2% were medical doctors. We found an increase in theoretical knowledge and enhanced self-confidence in dealing with emergencies in patients with LLC (confidence: before training: 3.3 ± 2.0 SD; after training: 5.7 ± 2.1 SD; min.: 1; max.: 10; p < 0.001). The participants changed their approaches to a fictitious case report from more invasive to less invasive treatment. Most participants wanted to communicate directly with PCTs and demanded a standard operating procedure (SOP) for treating patients with LLC. We discussed a proposal for an SOP with the participants.

Conclusion

EMS providers want to be prepared for emergencies in children with LLCs. A brief TU can improve their knowledge and confidence to handle these situations adequately. This TU is the first step to improve collaboration between PCTs and EMS teams.

The Emotional Experience of Caring for Children in Pediatric Palliative Care: A Qualitative Study among a Home-Based Interdisciplinary Care Team

The healthcare providers caring for children with life-threatening illnesses experience considerable compassion fatigue. The purpose of this study was to describe the feelings and emotions of professionals working in an interdisciplinary pediatric palliative home care team. A qualitative case study was conducted, comprising 18 participants. A purposeful sampling technique approach was used including the home-based interdisciplinary pediatric palliative team. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and researchers' field notes. A thematic analysis was performed. Two themes emerged: (a) changing life for the better, which described how professionals value life more and helping children and families provides compassion satisfaction, which is comforting and explains their dedication to care; (b) adverse effects of work highlighted the emotional burden of caring for children with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses, which can affect their job satisfaction and may lead to burnout, showing how experiencing in-hospital child deaths with suffering leads professionals to develop an interest in specializing in pediatric palliative care. Our study provides information on possible causes of emotional distress in professionals caring for children with life-threatening illnesses and highlights strategies that can help them to reduce their distress.

"More life and more days"-patient and care characteristics in a specialized acute pediatric palliative care inpatient unit

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 describing patient and care characteristics on our PPCU to learn about the complexity and relevance of inpatient PPC. A retrospective chart analysis was performed on the 8-bed PPCU of the Center for Pediatric Palliative Care of the Munich University Hospital, including demographic, clinical, and treatment characteristics (487 consecutive cases; 201 individual patients; 2016-2020). Data were analyzed descriptively; the chi-square test was used for comparisons. Patients' age (1-35.5 years, median: 4.8 years) and length of stay (1-186 days, median 11 days) varied widely. Thirty-eight percent of patients were admitted repeatedly (range 2-20 times). Most patients suffered from neurological diseases (38%) or congenital abnormalities (34%); oncological diseases were rare (7%). Patients' predominant acute symptoms were dyspnea (61%), pain (54%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (46%). Twenty percent of patients suffered from > 6 acute symptoms, 30% had respiratory support incl. invasive ventilation, 71% had a feeding tube, and 40% had full resuscitation code. In 78% of cases, patients were discharged home; 11% died on the unit.

CONCLUSION

This study shows the heterogeneity, high symptom burden, and medical complexity of the patients on the PPCU. The high dependency on life-sustaining medical technology points to the parallelism of life-prolonging and palliative treatments that is typical for PPC. Specialized PPCUs need to offer care at the intermediate care level in order to respond to the needs of patients and families.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Pediatric patients in outpatient PPC or hospices present with a variety of clinical syndromes and different levels of complexity and care intensity. • There are many children with life-limiting conditions (LLC) in hospitals, but specialized PPC hospital units for these patients are rare and poorly described.

WHAT IS NEW

• Patients on a specialized PPC hospital unit show a high symptom burden and a high level of medical complexity, including dependency on medical technology and frequent full resuscitation code. • The PPC unit is mainly a place for pain and symptom management as well as crisis intervention, and needs to be able to offer treatment at the intermediate care level.

Vaccine Preventable Diseases in Pediatric Palliative Care - A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

CONTEXT

Vaccine preventable diseases lead to distressful symptoms and complications among pediatric patients receiving specialized home palliative care. There was no data on the vaccination compliance.

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to determine the vaccination coverage, discuss the relevance of vaccinations and provide vaccination recommendations in pediatric palliative care.

METHODS

Vaccination data were compared in a multicenter cross-sectional study. Expert interviews were conducted to evaluate symptom burden. The vaccination status of patients treated by six German pediatric specialized home palliative care teams was recorded from January 2019 to December 2019. The data were compared to the national immunization schedule and the vaccination rate of a representative German pediatric cohort. Onset of missed vaccination was compared to the date of diagnosis of the life-limiting condition. A risk score was calculated to evaluate the relevance of each individual vaccinations.

RESULTS

Vaccination rates of Tdpa, haemophilus influenzae type B, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease, meningococcal diseases type C, and MMR were lower compared to healthy controls. There were no significant differences in varicella. In most cases the discontinuation of recommended immunizations occurred after diagnosis of the palliative condition. Influenza had the highest risk score and was the most frequent vaccine preventable disease in retrospective data. This paper includes a pragmatic proposal for the management of vaccination in this vulnerable population.

CONCLUSION

Children and adolescents with life-limiting conditions are at increased risk of vaccine preventable diseases. Individual vaccination counselling is recommended.

Prehospital emergency medicine for children receiving palliative home care in Germany-a cross-sectional, exploratory study of EMS providers

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of children with life-limiting conditions is rising, and since the amendment of the social insurance code in Germany, palliative home care teams have treated an increasing number of children. These teams provide 24/7 readiness, yet some parents still call the general emergency medical service (EMS) for various reasons. EMS is exposed to complex medical problems in rare diseases. Questions arose about the experiences of EMS and whether they felt prepared for emergencies involving children treated by a palliative care team.

METHODS

This study used a mixed methods approach to focus on the interface between palliative care and EMS. First, open interviews were conducted, and a questionnaire was developed based on the results. The variables included demographic items and individual experiences with patients. Second, a case report of a child with respiratory insufficiency was presented to assess the spontaneous treatment intentions of EMS providers. Finally, the need, relevant topics, and duration of specific training in palliative care for EMS providers were evaluated.

RESULTS

In total, 1,005 EMS providers responded to the questionnaire. The average age was 34.5 years (±10.94SD), 74.6% were male. The average work experience was 11.8 years (±9.7), 21.4% were medical doctors. Experience with a call of a life-threatening emergency involving a child was reported by 61.5% and severe psychological distress during such a call was reported by 60.4%. The equivalent distress frequency for adult patient calls was 38.3%. (p < 0.001). After review of the case report, the EMS respondents suggested invasive treatment options and rapid transport to the hospital. Most (93.7%) respondents welcomed the consideration of special training in pediatric palliative care. This training should include basic information about palliative care, an analysis of cases involving palliatively treated children, an ethical perspective, practical recommendations, and available (24/7) local contact for further guidance and support.

CONCLUSION

Emergencies in pediatric palliatively treated patients were more common than expected. EMS providers perceived the situations as stressful, and there is a need for specific training with practical aspects.

[Similarities and differences in specialized outpatient palliative care for adults, children and adolescents: results from focus group discussions with health care professionals]

BACKGROUND

In Germany, people with life-limiting conditions and complex symptoms are eligible for specialized outpatient palliative care (SOPC). Requirements, delivery and goals of SOPC have been laid down by the Federal Joint Committee in a nationwide guideline. The guideline emphasizes the need to consider the special needs of children and adolescents with life-limiting conditions. A specification of these needs has so far been missing. The focus group discussion presented here aimed at investigating similarities and differences between the specialized outpatient palliative care of adults (SOPC for adults) on the one hand, and children and adolescents (SOPPC) on the other hand, from the perspective of health care professionals in order to further define specifics of SOPPC.

METHOD

In three focus group discussions a total of 11 nursing and 8 medical professionals from SOPC for adults and SOPPC engaged in face-to-face discussions on the similarities and differences of both care forms. Discussions were designed openly and stimulated with three guiding questions only. Focus group discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed by thematic analysis supported by the software MAXQDA.

RESULTS

Within the following six themes, similarities as well as key differences between SOPC and SOPPC were identified: the participants discussed diseases, coverage area and locations, therapy goals, the psychosocial care situation, the role of relatives and end-of-life care. From the participants' perspective different underlying diseases constitute a main difference that causes further differences in the expertise required. Furthermore, SOPC for adults and SOPPC differ in the dimension of areas covered by one team, the number of patients per team and the reasons for SOPC visits. Differences in terminal care and the mourning process within the team became evident. Some similarities existed regarding goal-setting, psychosocial care and the role of relatives, but concrete patterns and the importance of these aspects differed because a particularly complex and emotional communication is required when a child is dying.

CONCLUSION

From the perspective of health care professionals, SOPC for adults and SOPPC differ with regard to underlying diseases as well as care patterns such as collaboration with relatives and their need for psychosocial support. Therefore, the care for children, adolescents and young adults with life-limiting conditions and pediatric diseases all over Germany should be delivered within the frame of an independent care structure by teams whose members possess specific pediatric expertise.

Looking back: Identifying supportive care and unmet needs of parents of children receiving specialist paediatric palliative care from the bereavement perspective

BACKGROUND

This study examined care needs and utilisation of psychosocial support services among parents of children who had received specialist paediatric palliative care, as well as the relationship between need fulfilment and grief. Possible differences between parents of children who died of cancer versus a non-cancer disease were explored.

METHODS

This exploratory study, conducted in two specialist paediatric palliative care facilities, included parents who had lost a child within a period of 0.5 to 8 years before this investigation. From the bereavement perspective, parents reported their needs during paediatric palliative care using the Family Inventory of Needs - Peadiatric II (FIN-PED II). Utilisation of psychosocial support services during paediatric palliative care and after the child's death, as well as potential barriers to accessing services were assessed. Grief symptoms were measured using the Inventory of Complicated Grief - German Version (ICG-D).

RESULTS

Overall, 56 of 157 approached parents participated in the study. Mean time interval after the child's death was 3.2 years. Of the 17 FIN-PED II needs, 13 needs were reported to be very/extremely important to more than 75% of the parents each. Highest ranked needs related to asking questions at any time (100%), sincere care for the child (100%), and information about changes in the child's condition (98%). The highest ranked unmet needs related to hope (61%), interactions with siblings (41-42%), and trust in the health care system (39%). Comparisons showed no significant differences between parents whose child died of cancer (n = 18) versus a non-cancer disease (n = 38). During paediatric palliative care, 61% of the parents had accessed at least one psychosocial support service and 84% had done so after the child's death. The most prominent barriers for accessing services were sufficient informal support (38%), no subjective need (23%), and lack of time (20%). Overall, 52% of the parents showed noticeable symptoms for complicated grief (ICG-D > 25). A higher level of grief symptoms significantly correlated with a lower fulfilment of the need to say goodbye to the child (p = .042) with a medium correlational effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings may help to guide health care professionals in their assessment of parental needs and provision of support to parents during paediatric palliative care.

Impact of Home-Based Pediatric Palliative Care on Hospital and Emergency Department Utilization at a Single Institution

Background: There is limited data on home-based pediatric palliative care (PPC) demographics and utilization outcomes. Objective: Describe who receives home-based PPC and compare emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and hospital days admitted in the one year before and after initiation of home-based PPC. Design: Exploratory retrospective medical chart review. Settings/Subjects: Patients, from birth to their 21st birthday, who received home-based PPC during January 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016 at a single site. Measurements: Demographics and hospital utilization were extracted from the medical chart. Results: N = 154. Comparing one year before and after initiation of home-based PPC, the median number of hospitalizations decreased from 2 to 1 (p < 0.001), and the median total number of hospital days admitted decreased from 16 to 4 days (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Children enrolled in a home-based PPC program experienced a significant decrease in the number of hospital admissions and hospital days admitted.

Implementing a nurse-led paediatric palliative care service

BACKGROUND

Children with life-limiting illnesses are living longer. They have complex care needs and require specialised knowledge and skills, yet paediatric palliative care is still at its infancy in most settings worldwide.

AIMS

To describe the process of implementing a nurse-led paediatric palliative care programme in a large tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

The steps that led to the implementation of this new nurse-led programme will be described through a 1-year analysis of collected data.

FINDINGS

A total of 107 children received services from the paediatric palliative care programme for over one year, with cancer being the predominant diagnosis (n=71, 66.3%). More than half of the children had a do not attempt resuscitation (DNAR) order (n=54, 50.5%). The most frequently encountered issues were the family's difficulty in coping with the disease (n=80, 74.7%) and a child's uncontrolled pain (n=72, 67.3%). The most frequent interventions were family support and counselling (n=71, 66.3%), family education about symptom management (n=69, 64,5%) and adjusted analgesics (n=60, 56%). Children in the terminal stage of their disease had significantly more issues.

CONCLUSION

Effective paediatric palliative care can be successfully implemented in a healthcare setting even when resources are limited. A nurse-led service was found to be a viable option for the delivery of palliative care to children with serious illnesses.

[Specialized outpatient palliative care for children, adolescents, and their families-the special needs of the target group. Results of the ELSAH study]

Hintergrund und Ziel

Lebenslimitierend erkrankte Kinder und Jugendliche mit komplexem Symptomgeschehen haben Anspruch auf eine spezialisierte ambulante Palliativversorgung (SAPV). In der Richtlinie zur SAPV heißt es lediglich: „Den besonderen Belangen von Kindern und Jugendlichen ist Rechnung zu tragen.“ Das Ziel der Studie ist es deshalb, diese besonderen Belange zu identifizieren und Empfehlungen zur Überarbeitung der SAPV-Richtlinie zu formulieren.

Methoden

Sequenzielles Mixed-Methods-Design mit Fragebogenerhebungen, qualitativen Interviews, teilnehmenden Beobachtungen und Fokusgruppendiskussionen mit Angehörigen, Patient*innen und Leistungserbringer*innen der SAPV in Hessen sowie der Auswertung von Dokumentationsdaten der hessischen SAPV-Teams.

Ergebnisse

Kinder und Jugendliche in der SAPV leiden an komplexen, oftmals seltenen Erkrankungen und bedürfen einer besonders aufwendigen Palliativversorgung durch ein Team mit pädiatrischer Expertise. Die SAPV muss die gesamte Familie einbeziehen und oftmals überregional verteilte Versorger*innen koordinieren. Zudem ist eine besonders aufwendige psychosoziale Versorgung von Patient*innen und Angehörigen notwendig. Die SAPV für Kinder und Jugendliche ist weniger bekannt als die SAPV für Erwachsene und der Zugang für die Familien deshalb oft schwierig. Für lebenslimitierend erkrankte Kinder und Jugendliche, die zwar einer aufsuchenden Palliativversorgung bedürfen, jedoch keinen Bedarf an einer so intensiven Betreuung wie in der SAPV haben, besteht eine Versorgungslücke.

Fazit

Die SAPV von Kindern und Jugendlichen sowie von volljährigen Patient*innen, die seit dem Kindes- und Jugendalter erkrankt sind, bedarf einer eigenständigen Versorgungsform mit Vergütungsmodalitäten, die den besonderen Versorgungsbedarf und -aufwand abbilden.

Care practices of specialized outpatient pediatric palliative care teams in collaboration with parents: Results of participatory observations

BACKGROUND

Collaboration between parents and professional care providers is an essential part of pediatric palliative care. As children are embedded in family systems and many of the patients are not able to communicate verbally, their parents are the primary interaction partners for palliative care providers. International standards for pediatric palliative care in Europe state that parents should be supported, acknowledged as the primary carers and involved as partners in all care and decisions.

AIM

To find out through which care practices pediatric palliative care teams shape collaboration with parents in everyday care.

DESIGN

Ethnographic method of participatory observations. Field notes were analyzed using thematic analysis.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Researchers accompanied three pediatric palliative care teams on home visits to eight different families caring for a child with life-limiting conditions.

RESULTS

Care practices of palliative care teams were characterized by familiarity, a resource-oriented attitude, empowerment of parents, shared decision-making and support for parents. Palliative care teams not only provided palliative medical treatment for the children, but also developed a trusting care partnership with parents. The teams employed a sensitive and multifaceted communication style in their collaboration with parents.

CONCLUSIONS

Care practices in pediatric palliative care require time, communication skills, and a high level of psychosocial competence, to develop a trusting, collaborative relationship with parents. This should be taken into consideration when establishing pediatric palliative care structures, preparing guidelines, training staff, and deciding upon appropriate remuneration.

Professional Care in Home for Children and Teenagers with Special Health Needs: An Integrative Review

Objective: Analyzing the results of scientific publications on professional home care for children and teenagers with special health needs. Materials and method: An integrative review with articles published between 2009 and 2020 conducted in the BDEnf, Lilacs, Medline/PubMed databases and in the SciELO electronic library. The data were analyzed in four stages: data reduction; display of the data; comparison of data; drawing and verification of completion. Results: There were identified 5,641 articles; after the application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria and disposal of duplicates, 637 articles were chosen for the reading of titles and abstracts, of which 61 were selected for full reading and of these, 28 composed the final sample. The offer of remote support actions and concern in training caregivers regarding the technical-scientific aspects of home care was identified, in addition to promoting the improvement of the quality of life of children/teenagers and their families. A gap was evidenced regarding the identification and management of pain by home service professionals. Conclusions: The performance of home services to this specific population focuses on the demands of care with health technologies and on promoting symptom relief, reducing the workload of caregivers and assisting in dehospitalization.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in pediatric patients under palliative home care - A multicenter retrospective study

Introduction: Patients under palliative home care have special needs for their end-of-life support, which in general does not automatically include cardiopulmonary resuscitation. However, emergency medical services (EMS) respond to emergencies in children under palliative care that lead to cardiopulmonary resuscitation. To understand the underlying steps of decision-making, this retrospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study aimed to analyze pediatric patients under palliative home care who had been resuscitated. Methods: This study included patients from three spezialized pediatric palliative home care (SHPC) teams. The primary study parameters were the prevalence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the decision-making for carrying out pediatric advanced life support (PALS). Further analyses included the causes of cardiac arrest, the type of CPR (basic life support, advanced life support), the patient´s outcome, and involvement of the SHPC in the resuscitation. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results: In total, 880 pediatric patients under palliative home care were included over 8.5 years, of which 17 patients were resuscitated once and two patients twice (overall, 19 events with CPR, 21.6 per 1,000 cases). In 10 of the 19 incidents (52.6%), cardiac arrest occurred suddenly without being predictable. The causes of cardiac arrest varied widely. PALS was performed in 78.9% of the cases by EMS teams. In 12 of 19 events (63.2%) resuscitation was performed on explicit wish of the parents. However, from a medical point of view, only four resuscitation attempts were reasonable. In total 7 of 17 (41.2%) patients survived cardiac arrest with a comparable quality of life. Discussion: Overall, resuscitation attempts were rare events in children under home palliative therapy, but if they occur, EMS are often the primary caregivers. Most resuscitation attempts occurred on explicit wish of the parents independently of the meaningfulness of the medical procedure. Despite the presence of a life-limiting disease, survival with a similar quality was achieved in one third of all resuscitated patients. This study indicates that EMS should be trained for advanced life support in children under home palliative therapy and SHPC should address the scenario of cardiac arrest also in early stages of palliative treatment. These results underline that advance care planning for these children is urgently needed.

How to Open the Door: A Qualitative, Observational Study on Initiating Advance Care Discussions with Parents in Pediatric Palliative Care

Context: Advance care discussions (ACD) between health care professionals (HCPs) and parents of children with a life-limiting disease are a core element of successful pediatric advance care planning (pACP). Yet, they are perceived as a challenging situation for all participants. Objectives: Our goal was to investigate the first step of ACD and identify its challenges and helpful communication strategies to develop a conversation guide for initiating the pACP process and structure the conversational opening. Methods: We performed a participant observation of 11 initial ACD and 24 interviews with 13 HCPs and 20 parents of 11 children cared for by 3 different palliative care teams in southern Germany. Qualitative data collection was supplemented by a questionnaire. Content analysis and conversation analysis were used for evaluation. Results: Parents and HCPs start the process with different expectations, which can lead to misunderstandings and confusion. HCPs gain parental cooperation when they express the purpose of the meeting clearly and early, provide structure and guidance, and give parents time to talk about their experiences and feelings. Addressing dying and death is hard for both sides and requires a sensitive approach. Conclusions: Initiating ACD is extremely challenging for all participants. HCPs and parents should clarify expectations and aims at the beginning of the conversation. Future research should focus on how HCPs can be trained for this task and how the right timing for introducing ACD to families can be identified. Clinical Trial Registration number 049-12.

Patient-reported outcome measures in pediatric palliative care-a protocol for a scoping review

BACKGROUND

In pediatric palliative care (PPC), there is a need to involve the child's voice in situations regarding their symptoms and care needs. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) can be tools to systematically gather data reported from the child or a proxy if the child is not capable to self-report in order to provide the services they need. There has been a rapid development in PROM research the last decade, and there is a need for an overview of current knowledge and experiences in the field. Thus, we aim to explore and summarize what is known from the published research about PROMs in PPC.

METHODS

We propose a scoping review following the framework by Arksey and O'Malley and the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. A systematic search will be performed in the following databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline), Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), American Psychological Association (APA) PsycInfo, Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI), and Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED). The search will be followed by snowballing to identify key papers and significant researchers for additional citations. Covidence will facilitate the independent review of eligible citations, and data will be extracted and presented descriptively, and thematically analyzed using NVivo.

DISCUSSION

The scoping review suggested in this protocol will identify PROMs which have been proposed in PPC and clarify the experiences with their use. The findings of this review will be relevant for researchers and healthcare personnel caring for children and adolescents in PPC. In addition, by highlighting knowledge gaps about the use of PROMs in PPC, this review will point out future needs within this field of research, which is crucial for improving quality of care in PPC. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://osf.io/yfch2/ .

Communication around palliative care principles and advance care planning between oncologists, children with advancing cancer and families

BACKGROUND

In medical oncology, palliative care principles and advance care planning are often discussed later in illness, limiting time for conversations to guide goal-concordant care. In pediatric oncology, the frequency, timing and content of communication about palliative care principles and advance care planning remains understudied.

METHODS

We audio-recorded serial disease re-evaluation conversations between oncologists, children with advancing cancer and their families across the illness trajectory until death or 24 months from last disease progression. Content analysis was conducted to determine topic frequencies, timing and communication approaches.

RESULTS

One hundred forty one disease re-evaluation discussions were audio-recorded for 17 patient-parent dyads with advancing cancer. From 2400 min of recorded dialogue, 119 min (4.8%) included discussion about palliative care principles or advance care planning. Most of this dialogue occurred after frank disease progression. Content analysis revealed distinct communication approaches for navigating discussions around goals of care, quality of life, comfort and consideration of limiting invasive interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

Palliative care principles are discussed infrequently across evolving illness for children with progressive cancer. Communication strategies for navigating these conversations can inform development of educational and clinical interventions to encourage earlier dialogue about palliative care principles and advance care planning for children with high-risk cancer and their families.

[End of life in patients under the care of paediatric palliative care teams. Multicentre observational study]

INTRODUCTION

Around 2000 children and adolescents die each year in Spain, however, we know little about the particularities of deaths in paediatrics. The purpose of this study is to document the characteristics of patients who die in the care of paediatric palliative care teams in Spain.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Retrospective, descriptive, multicentre study. Fourteen teams from all over the country participated.

RESULTS

Data were obtained from 164 patients. In most cases the underlying disease stemmed from oncological, neurological or neuromuscular processes. The median age at death was 6.9 years (RIC 11.2). The median follow-up time by the team was 0.3 years (RIC 0.8 years). The most frequent symptoms in the last week of life were dyspnoea, pain, increased secretions and sleep disorders. The median number of drugs administered to each patient one week prior to death was 6 (RIC 4). The place of death for 95 of the patients (57.9%) was hospital while 67 (40.9%) died at home.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a wide age range of patients and they had substantial exposure to polypharmacy. The follow-up time shows that patients have late access to palliative care programmes. An effort should be made to introduce this care earlier rather than relegating it to the end of life. In Spain there is an unequal distribution of resources and not all teams can provide care at home. The place of death should be interpreted with caution.

Clinical Characteristics of the End-of-Life Phase in Children with Life-Limiting Diseases: Retrospective Study from a Single Center for Pediatric Palliative Care

Background: Data on the end-of-life phase of children receiving palliative care are limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate the spectrum of symptoms of terminally ill children, adolescents, and young adults, depending on their underlying disease. Methods: Findings are based on a 4.5-year retrospective study of 89 children who received palliative care before they died, investigating the symptomatology of the last two weeks before death. Results: In this study, the most common clinical symptomatology present in children undergoing end-of-life care includes pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, nausea, and constipation. Out of 89 patients included in this study, 47% suffered from an oncological disease. Oncological patients had a significantly higher symptom burden at the end of life (p < 0.05) compared to other groups, and the intensity of symptoms increased as the underlying disease progressed. The likelihood of experiencing pain and nausea/vomiting was also significantly higher in oncological patients (p = 0.016). Conclusions: We found that the underlying disease is associated with marked differences in the respective leading clinical symptom. Therefore, related to these differences, symptom management has to be adjusted according to the underlying disease, since the underlying disorder seems to exert an influence on the severity of symptoms and thereby on the modality and choice of treatment. This study is intended to aid underlying disease-specific symptom management at the end-of-life care for children, adolescents, and young adults, with a specific focus on end-of-life care in a home environment.

The Impact of Specialty Palliative Care in Pediatric Oncology: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT

Children with cancer and their families have complex needs related to symptoms, decision-making, care planning, and psychosocial impact extending across the illness trajectory, which for some includes end of life. Whether specialty pediatric palliative care (SPPC) is associated with improved outcomes for children with cancer and their families is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines to investigate outcomes associated with SPPC in pediatric oncology with a focus on intervention delivery, collaboration, and alignment with National Quality Forum domains.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases from inception until April 2020 and reviewed references manually. Eligible articles were published in English, involved pediatric patients aged 0-18 years with cancer, and contained original data regarding patient and family illness and end-of-life experiences, including symptom management, communication, decision-making, quality of life, satisfaction, and healthcare utilization.

RESULTS

We screened 6682 article abstracts and 82 full-text articles; 32 studies met inclusion criteria, representing 15,635 unique children with cancer and 342 parents. Generally, children with cancer who received SPPC had improved symptom burden, pain control, and quality of life with decreased intensive procedures, increased completion of advance care planning and resuscitation status documentation, and fewer end-of-life intensive care stays with higher likelihood of dying at home. Family impact included satisfaction with SPPC and perception of improved communication.

CONCLUSION

SPPC may improve illness experiences for children with cancer and their families. Multisite studies utilizing comparative effectiveness approaches and validated metrics may support further advancement of the field.

Healthcare interventions improving and reducing quality of life in children at the end of life: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Children with serious illness suffer from symptoms at the end of life that often fail to be relieved. An overview is required of healthcare interventions improving and decreasing quality of life (QOL) for children with serious illness at the end of life.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed in five databases, January 2000 to July 2018 without language limit. Reviewers selected quantitative studies with a healthcare intervention, for example, medication or treatment, and QOL outcomes or QOL-related measures, for example, symptoms, for children aged 1-17 years with serious illness. One author assessed outcomes with the QualSyst and GRADE (Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) Framework; two authors checked a 25% sample. QOL improvement or reduction was categorized.

RESULTS

Thirty-six studies met the eligibility criteria studying 20 unique interventions. Designs included 1 randomized controlled trial, 1 cross-sectional study, and 34 cohort studies. Patient-reported symptom monitoring increased QOL significantly in cancer patients in a randomized controlled trial. Dexmedetomidine, methadone, ventilation, pleurodesis, and palliative care were significantly associated with improved QOL, and chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, and hospitalization with reduced QOL, in cohort studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of patient-controlled symptom feedback, multidisciplinary palliative care teams with full-time practical support, inhalation therapy, and off-label sedative medication may improve QOL. Curative therapy may reduce QOL.

IMPACT

QOL for children at the end of life may be improved with patient-controlled symptom feedback, multidisciplinary palliative care teams with full-time practical support, inhalation therapy, and off-label sedative medication. QOL for children at the end of life may be reduced with therapy with a curative intent, such as curative chemotherapy or stem cell transplant. A comprehensive overview of current evidence to elevate currently often-failing QOL management for children at the end of life. New paradigm-level indicators for appropriate and inappropriate QOL management in children at the end of life. New hypotheses for future research, guided by the current knowledge within the field. Various healthcare interventions (as described above) could or might be employed as tools to provide relief in QOL management for children with serious illness, such as cancer, at the end of life, and therefore could be discussed in pediatrician end-of-life training to limit the often-failed QOL management in this population, cave the one-size-fits-all approach for individual cases. Multidisciplinary team efforts and 24/7 presence, especially practical support for parents, might characterize effective palliative care team interventions for children with serious illness at the end of life, suggesting a co-regulating link between well-being of the child partly to that of the parents Hypothesis-oriented research is needed, especially for children with nonmalignant disorders, such as genetic or neurological disorders at the end of life, as well as QOL outcomes for intervention research and psychosocial or spiritual outcomes.

Specialised outpatient paediatric palliative care team-parent collaboration: narrative interviews with parents

OBJECTIVE

In Germany, children with life-limiting conditions and complex symptoms are eligible for specialised outpatient palliative care (SOPC). In the federal state of Hesse, SOPC for children (SOPPC) is delivered by teams with paediatric expertise. While burdened by the life-limiting condition of their child, parents must also fulfill their roles as main care providers and decision makers. Collaboration between parents and SOPPC teams is important, as the intermittent care and uncertainty it entails often lasts for several months or years. We explored parents' experiences and their demands of collaboration with SOPPC teams.

METHODS

We conducted nine narrative interviews with 13 parents of children and adolescents with life-limiting conditions and used a grounded theory approach to analyse interview data.

RESULTS

Parents stressed the importance of paediatric expertise, honesty, psychosocial support, an individualised approach, experience of self-efficacy and the need to be recognised as experts for their children. The narrative interviews showed that collaboration between parents and SOPPC teams was characterised by parents' need for specialised professional assistance and their simultaneous empowerment by SOPPC teams.

CONCLUSIONS

Parents' perceptions of what good collaboration with SOPPC teams entails are manifold. To meet these complex needs, SOPPC requires time and specialised expertise.

Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Children With Life-Limiting Conditions Receiving Palliative Home Care

Context: Children with life-limiting diseases suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Since the introduction of specialized palliative home care (SPHC) in Germany, it is possible to care for these children at home. In phase 1 of care the aim is to stabilize the patient. In phase 2, terminal support is provided. Objectives: Analysis were performed of the differences between these phases. The causes and modalities/outcome of treatment were evaluated. Methods: A retrospective study was performed from 2014 to 2020. All home visits were analyzed with regard to the abovementioned symptoms, their causes, treatment and results. Results: In total, 149 children were included (45.9% female, mean age 8.17 ± 7.67 years), and 126 patients were evaluated. GI symptoms were common in both phases. Vomiting was more common in phase 2 (59.3 vs. 27.1%; p < 0.001). After therapy, the proportion of asymptomatic children in phase 1 increased from 40.1 to 75.7%; (p < 0.001). Constipation was present in 52.3% (phase 1) and 54.1% (phase 2). After treatment, the proportion of asymptomatic patients increased from 47.3 to 75.7% in phase 1 (p < 0.001), and grade 3 constipation was reduced from 33.9 to 15% in phase 2 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Painful GI symptoms occur in both palliative care phases but are more common in phase 2. The severity and frequency can usually be controlled at home. The study limitations were the retrospective design and small number of patients, but the study had a representative population, good data quality and a unique perspective on the reality of outpatient pediatric palliative care in Germany.

Palliative care utilization in oncology and hemato-oncology: a systematic review of cognitive barriers and facilitators from the perspective of healthcare professionals, adult patients, and their families

Background

Despite the high potential to improve the quality of life of patients and families, palliative care services face significant obstacles to their use. In countries with high-resource health systems, the nonfinancial and nonstructural obstacles to palliative care services are particularly prominent. These are the cognitive barriers -knowledge and communication barriers- to the use of palliative care. To date no systematic review has given the deserved attention to the cognitive barriers and facilitators to palliative care services utilization.

This study aims to synthesize knowledge on cognitive barriers and facilitators to palliative care use in oncology and hemato-oncology from the experiences of health professionals, patients, and their families.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted. PubMed, PsycINFO, International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care/Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (IAHPC/CINAHL), and Communication & Mass Media Complete (CMMC) were systematically searched for the main core concepts: palliative care, barriers, facilitators, perspectives, points of view, and related terms and synonyms. After screening of titles, abstracts, and full-texts, 52 studies were included in the qualitative thematic analysis.

Results

Four themes were identified: awareness of palliative care, collaboration and communication in palliative care-related settings, attitudes and beliefs towards palliative care, and emotions involved in disease pathways. The results showed that cognitive barriers and facilitators are involved in the educational, social, emotional, and cultural dimensions of palliative care provision and utilization. In particular, these barriers and facilitators exist both at the healthcare professional level (e.g. a barrier is lack of understanding of palliative care applicability, and a facilitator is strategic visibility of the palliative care team in patient floors and hospital-wide events) and at the patient and families level (e.g. a barrier is having misconceptions about palliative care, and a facilitator is patients’ openness to their own needs).

Conclusions

To optimize palliative care services utilization, awareness of palliative care, and healthcare professionals’ communication and emotion management skills should be enhanced. Additionally, a cultural shift, concerning attitudes and beliefs towards palliative care, should be encouraged.

Identifying key elements for paediatric advance care planning with parents, healthcare providers and stakeholders: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Although international guidelines recommend discussions about goals of care and treatment options for children with severe and life-limiting conditions, there are still few structured models of paediatric advance care planning.

AIM

The study aimed at identifying key components of paediatric advance care planning through direct discussions with all involved parties.

DESIGN

The study had a qualitative design with a participatory approach. Participants constituted an advisory board and took part in two transdisciplinary workshops. Data were collected in discussion and dialogue groups and analysed using content analysis.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

We included bereaved parents, health care providers and stakeholders of care networks.

RESULTS

Key elements were discussions, documentation, implementation, timing and participation of children and adolescents. Parents engage in discussions with facilitators and persons of trust to reach a decision. Documentation constitutes the focus of professionals, who endorse brief recommendations for procedures in case of emergencies, supplemented by larger advance directives. Implementation hindrances include emotional barriers of stakeholders, disagreements between parents and professionals and difficulties with emergency services. Discussion timing should take into account parental readiness. The intervention should be repeated at regular intervals, considering emerging needs and increasing awareness of families over time. Involving children and adolescents in advance care planning remains a challenge.

CONCLUSION

A paediatric advance care planning intervention should take into account potential pitfalls and barriers including issues related to timing, potential conflicts between parents and professionals, ambiguity towards written advance directives, the role of non-medical carers for paediatric advance care planning implementation, the need to involve the child and the necessity of an iterative process.

The use of personal narratives in hospital-based palliative care interventions: An integrative literature review

BACKGROUND

People living with life-threatening illness experience unmet existential needs despite the growing research and clinical field of palliative care. Narrative interventions show promise in managing these problems, but more knowledge is needed on the characteristics of narrative interventions and the feasibility of using personal narratives in a hospital.

AIM

To review the literature on personal narratives in hospital-based palliative care interventions and to strengthen palliative care practices.

DESIGN

We conducted a systematic integrative review with qualitative analysis and narrative synthesis in accordance with PRISMA where applicable (PROSPERO#:CRD42018089202).

DATA SOURCES

We conducted a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cinahl, SocINDEX and PsychInfo for primary research articles published until June 2018. We assessed full-text articles against the eligibility criteria followed by a discussion of quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme.

RESULTS

Of 480 articles, we found 24 eligible for this review: 8 qualitative, 14 quantitative and 2 mixed methods. The articles reported on dignity therapy, legacy building, outlook, short-term life review and life review. Data analysis resulted in five themes: core principles, theoretical framework, content of narrative, outcome and, finally, acceptability and feasibility.

CONCLUSION

Various types of systematic palliative care interventions use personal narratives. Common to these is a shared psychotherapeutic theoretical understanding and aim. Clinical application in a hospital setting is both feasible and acceptable but requires flexibility regarding the practices of the setting and the needs of the patient.

Parents' Perspectives on Hospital Care for Children and Adolescents with Life-Limiting Conditions: A Grounded Theory Analysis of Narrative Interviews

Background: Guidelines on pediatric palliative care recommend to provide care for children and adolescents with life-limiting conditions at home. Since 2007, in Germany, palliative home care can be provided by specialized outpatient palliative care teams. However, teams with specific expertise for children are not available all over the country. Families without this support need to use the hospital to get specialists' assistance. Objective: To explore how parents of children and adolescents with life-limiting conditions think about the hospital as place of care. Design: We conducted narrative interviews with parents and analyzed these by using a grounded theory approach. Setting/Subjects: We interviewed 13 parents (4 fathers and 9 mothers) of 9 children with life-limiting conditions receiving or having received pediatric specialized outpatient palliative care (SOPPC) in Germany. Results: Parents reported feelings of vulnerability, heteronomy, and disablement associated with hospital care and were afraid that their children's needs were not adequately addressed. These perceptions resulted from hospitals' standardized care structures and over- and undertreatment, a lack of continuity of care, hospital pathogens, a lack of a palliative mindset, insensitive hospital staff, the exclusion of parents from the treatment and parental care of their children, the hospital stay as a permanent state of emergency, and a waste of limited life time. Conclusion: Pediatric hospital staff needs training in identifying and responding to palliative care needs. SOPPC structures should be expanded all over Germany to meet the needs of families of children with life-limiting conditions.

Improving palliative and end-of-life care with machine learning and routine data: a rapid review

Introduction: Improving end-of-life (EOL) care is a priority worldwide as this population experiences poor outcomes and accounts disproportionately for costs. In clinical practice, physician judgement is the core method of identifying EOL care needs but has important limitations. Machine learning (ML) is a subset of artificial intelligence advancing capacity to identify patterns and make predictions using large datasets.  ML approaches have the potential to improve clinical decision-making and policy design, but there has been no systematic assembly of current evidence. Methods: We conducted a rapid review, searching systematically seven databases from inception to December 31st, 2018: EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, WOS, SCOPUS and ECONLIT.  We included peer-reviewed studies that used ML approaches on routine data to improve palliative and EOL care for adults.  Our specified outcomes were survival, quality of life (QoL), place of death, costs, and receipt of high-intensity treatment near end of life.  We did not search grey literature and excluded material that was not a peer-reviewed article. Results: The database search identified 426 citations. We discarded 162 duplicates and screened 264 unique title/abstracts, of which 22 were forwarded for full text review.  Three papers were included, 18 papers were excluded and one full text was sought but unobtainable.  One paper predicted six-month mortality, one paper predicted 12-month mortality and one paper cross-referenced predicted 12-month mortality with healthcare spending.  ML-informed models outperformed logistic regression in predicting mortality but poor prognosis is a weak driver of costs.  Models using only routine administrative data had limited benefit from ML methods. Conclusion: While ML can in principle help to identify those at risk of adverse outcomes and inappropriate treatment near EOL, applications to policy and practice are formative.  Future research must not only expand scope to other outcomes and longer timeframes, but also engage with individual preferences and ethical challenges.

Improving palliative and end-of-life care with machine learning and routine data: a rapid review

Introduction: Improving end-of-life (EOL) care is a priority worldwide as this population experiences poor outcomes and accounts disproportionately for costs. In clinical practice, physician judgement is the core method of identifying EOL care needs but has important limitations. Machine learning (ML) is a subset of artificial intelligence advancing capacity to identify patterns and make predictions using large datasets.  ML approaches have the potential to improve clinical decision-making and policy design, but there has been no systematic assembly of current evidence. Methods: We conducted a rapid review, searching systematically seven databases from inception to December 31st, 2018: EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, WOS, SCOPUS and ECONLIT.  We included peer-reviewed studies that used ML approaches on routine data to improve palliative and EOL care for adults.  Our specified outcomes were survival, quality of life (QoL), place of death, costs, and receipt of high-intensity treatment near end of life.  We did not search grey literature and excluded material that was not a peer-reviewed article. Results: The database search identified 426 citations. We discarded 162 duplicates and screened 264 unique title/abstracts, of which 22 were forwarded for full text review.  Three papers were included, 18 papers were excluded and one full text was sought but unobtainable.  One paper predicted six-month mortality, one paper predicted 12-month mortality and one paper cross-referenced predicted 12-month mortality with healthcare spending.  ML-informed models outperformed logistic regression in predicting mortality but poor prognosis is a weak driver of costs.  Models using only routine administrative data had limited benefit from ML methods. Conclusion: While ML can in principle help to identify those at risk of adverse outcomes and inappropriate treatment near EOL, applications to policy and practice are formative.  Future research must not only expand scope to other outcomes and longer timeframes, but also engage with individual preferences and ethical challenges.

Socioeconomic Status and Health Services Utilization for Children With Complex Chronic Conditions Liable to Receive Nurse-Led Services: A Cross-Sectional Study

AIM

To analyze the use of health services for children with severe chronic diseases, seeking to identify patterns of use according to sociodemographic and clinical conditions, and to identify unmet needs of care coordination that could benefit from nursing case management services.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Children treated in ambulatory and hospital care in Granada, Spain, with complex chronic diseases in 2016 were analyzed to determine their use of healthcare resources. Socioeconomic variables were evaluated, along with clinical status and duration of their conditions.

RESULTS

In total, 265 children were analyzed (mean age 7.3 years, SD 4.63; 56.6% male). The average duration of the disease was 63.26 months (SD 54.09). The most common types of disease were neurological (35.80%), congenital (23.90%), and oncological (18.90%). Multivariate analysis showed that children in need of advanced care (β = 0.71), with a relatively recent diagnosis (β = -0.11), with criteria for palliative care 1 (β = -0.26), and whose mothers were older (β = 0.36) and had a higher educational level (β = 0.19) made greater use of healthcare resources during the preceding 12 months, whether urgent or scheduled (r² = 78.0%, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Children with higher needs for advanced care have a heterogeneous use of healthcare resources depending on certain clinical and sociodemographic determinants. This finding highlights the importance of the identification of profiles of children and families for care coordination. The presence of sociodemographic determinants may need individualized approaches to assure a timely health care utilization.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

A significant proportion of the children used multiple health services, being treated at several centers simultaneously, and producing up to 139 total yearly contacts with the health system. Policymakers, healthcare providers, and patients' families should engage in a redesign of healthcare services for these children, providing comprehensive and coordinated systems of care for this population.

Pediatric Patients Receiving Specialized Palliative Home Care According to German Law: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study

In Germany, every child with a life-limiting condition suffering from symptoms that cannot sufficiently be controlled is eligible by law for specialized pediatric palliative home care (SPPHC). It is the aim of this study to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of children referred to SPPHC and to compare patients with cancer and non-cancer conditions. The prospective multicenter study includes data on 75 children (median age 7.7 years, 50.7% male). The majority had non-cancer conditions (72%). The most common symptoms were cognitive impairment, somatic pain, impairment in communication or swallowing difficulties. Swallowing difficulties, seizures, and spasticity occurred significantly more often in non-cancer patients (p < 0.01). Cancer patients received antiemetics significantly more often (permanent and on demand) than non-cancer patients (p < 0.01). Significantly more non-cancer patients had some type of feeding tube (57.3%) or received oxygen (33.3%) (p < 0.01). Central venous catheters had been fitted in 20% of the patients, mostly in cancer patients (p < 0.001). Tracheostomy tubes (9.3%) or ventilation (14.7%) were only used in non-cancer patients. In conclusion, patients referred to SPPHC are a diverse cohort with complex conditions including a large range of neurologically originating symptoms. The care of pediatric palliative care patients with cancer is different to the care of non-cancer patients.

Study protocol: evaluation of specialized outpatient palliative care (SOPC) in the German state of Hesse (ELSAH study) - work package II: palliative care for pediatric patients

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 palliative care compared to EAPC standards. In Germany, pediatric palliative care patients can be referred to specialized outpatient palliative care (SOPC) services, which are known to enhance quality of life, e.g. by avoiding hospitalization. However, current regulations for the provision of SOPC in Germany do not account for the different circumstances and needs of children and their families compared to adult palliative care patients. The “Evaluation of specialized outpatient palliative care (SOPC) in the German state of Hesse (ELSAH)” study aims to perform a needs assessment for pediatric patients (children, adolescents and young adults) receiving SOPC. This paper presents the study protocol for this assessment (work package II).

Methods/Design

The study uses a sequential mixed-methods study design with a focus on qualitative research. Data collection from professional and family caregivers and, as far as possible, pediatric patients, will involve both a written questionnaire based on European recommendations for pediatric palliative care, and semi-structured interviews. Additionally, professional caregivers will take part in focus group discussions and participatory observations. Interviews and focus groups will be tape- or video-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed in accordance with the principles of grounded theory (interviews) and content analysis (focus groups). A structured field note template will be used to record notes taken during the participatory observations. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 22 or higher) will be used for descriptive statistical analyses. The qualitative data analyses will be software-assisted by MAXQDA (version 12 or higher).

Discussion

This study will provide important information on what matters most to family caregivers and pediatric patients receiving SOPC. The results will add valuable knowledge to the criteria that distinguish SOPC for pediatric from SOPC for adult patients, and will provide an indication of how the German SOPC rule of procedure can be optimized to satisfy the special needs of pediatric patients.

Trial registration

Internet Portal of the German Clinical Trials Register (www.germanctr.de, DRKS-ID: DRKS00012431).

"Let's Bring Her Home First." Patient Characteristics and Place of Death in Specialized Pediatric Palliative Home Care

CONTEXT

Specialized pediatric palliative home care (SPPHC) is the main pediatric palliative care structure in Germany. Detailed data on patient characteristics and care are sparse. Describing this population in terms of diagnoses and care needs is essential for further development of palliative care services for these patients.

OBJECTIVES

We asked whether the population at our center 1) was representative compared with national mortality statistics; 2) showed differences in the clinical course among the four diagnostic categories established by the Association for Children with Terminal Conditions/Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health; and 3) was different to published populations in pediatric palliative care regarding diagnoses, care, and place of death.

METHODS

Retrospective single center chart analysis of 212 consecutive patients on SPPHC (2009-2015).

RESULTS

Main International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision groups were nervous system, congenital abnormalities, neoplasia, and metabolic disease, reflecting the mortality statistics for patients one to 20 years. Thirty-six percent of patients were assigned to ACT-3, 34% to ACT-4, 26% to ACT-1, and 4% to ACT-2. ACT-1 patients mostly needed high-intensity care for short durations, ACT-4 patients showed long survival times with mostly intermittent care. Seventy-five percent of patients showed nervous system involvement. Eighty-four percent died at home, 12% in hospital, and 4% in a hospice, with 96% dying at their preferred place.

CONCLUSION

Our data on SPPHC show 1) significant differences between Association for Children with Terminal Conditions/Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health groups in terms of care needs and survival; 2) a high prevalence of children with neurological problems; and 3) a large majority of children dying at home.

Place of death of children with complex chronic conditions: cross-national study of 11 countries

Cross-national understanding of place of death is crucial for health service systems for their provision of efficient and equal access to paediatric palliative care. The objectives of this population-level study were to examine where children with complex chronic conditions (CCC) die and to investigate associations between places of death and sex, cause of death and country. The study used death certificate data of all deceased 1- to 17-year-old children (n = 40,624) who died in 2008, in 11 European and non-European countries. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine associations between place of death and other factors. Between 24.4 and 75.3% of all children 1-17 years in the countries died of CCC. Of these, between 6.7 and 42.4% died at home. In Belgium and the USA, all deaths caused by CCC other than malignancies were less likely to occur at home, whereas in Mexico and South Korea, deaths caused by neuromuscular diseases were more likely to occur at home than malignancies. In Mexico (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.83-1.00) and Sweden (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.15-0.83), girls had a significantly lower chance of dying at home than boys.

CONCLUSION

This study shows large cross-national variations in place of death. These variations may relate to health system-related infrastructures and policies, and differences in cultural values related to place of death, although this needs further investigation. The patterns found in this study can inform the development of paediatric palliative care programs internationally. What is known: • There is a scarcity of population-level studies investigating where children with CCC die in different countries. • Cross-national understanding of place of death provides information to health care systems for providing efficient and equal access to paediatric palliative care. What is new : • There are large cross-national variations in the place of death of children with CCC, with few deathsoccuring at home in some countries whereas hospital deaths are generally most common. • In general, deaths caused by neuromuscular diseases and malignancies occur at home more often thanother CCC.

Community-based pediatric palliative care for health related quality of life, hospital utilization and costs lessons learned from a pilot study

Background

Children with chronic complex-medical conditions comprise a small minority of children who require substantial healthcare with major implications for hospital utilization and costs in pediatrics. Community-Based Pediatric Palliative Care (CBPPC) provides a holistic approach to patient care that can improve their quality of life and lead to reduced costs of hospital care. This study's purpose was to analyze and report unpublished evaluation study results from 2007 that demonstrate the potential for CBPPC on Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and hospital utilization and costs in light of the increasing national focus on the care of children with complex-medical conditions, including the Affordable Care Act's emphasis on patient-centered outcomes.

Methods

A multi-method research design used primary data collected from caregivers to determine the Program's potential impact on HRQoL, and administrative data to assess the Program's potential impact on hospital utilization and costs. Caregivers (n=53) of children enrolled in the Northeast Florida CBPPC program (Community PedsCare) through the years 2002-2007 were recruited for the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) study. Children (n=48) enrolled in the Program through years 2000-2006 were included in the utilization and cost study.

Results

HRQoL was generally high, and hospital charges per child declined by $1203 for total hospital services (p=.34) and $1047 for diagnostic charges per quarter (p=0.13). Hospital length of stay decreased from 2.92 days per quarter to 1.22 days per quarter (p<.05).

Conclusion

The decrease in hospital utilization and costs and the high HRQoL results indicate that CBPPC has the potential to influence important outcomes for the quality of care available for children with complex-medical conditions and their caregivers.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12904-016-0138-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Symptoms and management of pediatric patients with incurable brain tumors in palliative home care

INTRODUCTION

Brain tumors have the highest disease-related mortality rate of all pediatric cancers. The goal of this study was to determine whether all children with incurable brain tumors cared for by a pediatric palliative care team in a home setting suffer from the same symptoms towards the end of their lives or whether there are differences between the tumor localizations with implications for palliative care.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study was conducted as a retrospective, single center chart review including all patients treated between January 1st 2000 and December 31st 2013.

RESULTS

70 children, adolescents and young adults were included in the analysis. Symptom burden was high with a mean number of symptoms of 7.2 per patient. 74% of the symptoms already existed one week before death. Within the last week of life, impaired consciousness (75.7%) most often occurred. Furthermore, symptoms considerably depended on tumor localization. Patients with supratentorial tumors presented more frequently with seizures (p < 0.05), coma (p < 0.01), nausea and emesis (p < 0.01). Ataxia (p < 0.001) occurred most frequently in infratentorial tumors and speech disturbances (p < 0.05), cranial nerve paralysis (p < 0.001), and tetraparesis (p < 0.001) in brain stem tumors. 84.3% of the patients needed analgesics, only 64.4% WHO class III analgesics. Anticonvulsants were given more often in supratentorial tumors (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Caring for a dying child suffering from a brain tumor needs increased awareness of the neurological deterioration. The symptom pattern strongly depends on the tumor localization and significantly differs between supratentorial, infratentorial and brain stem tumors.

Effect of pediatric palliative care programs on health care resource utilization and costs among children with life-threatening conditions: a systematic review of comparative studies

BACKGROUND

Pediatric palliative care is a relatively new and evolving field, and the cost of pediatric palliative care programs is unclear. We conducted a systematic review to compare inpatient health care utilization and costs among children with life-threatening conditions who have accessed a pediatric palliative care program and those who have not.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and LILACS databases from January 2000 to July 2013, as well as the grey literature, for experimental or observational studies that compared pediatric palliative care programs with usual care. Outcomes of interest included hospital admissions, length of stay and health care costs.

RESULTS

Of the 5193 records identified, we reviewed 109 in full and included 11 in our study. The overall quality of the studies was moderate to low. We observed mixed results for all outcomes. Compared with patients receiving usual care, fewer patients in the palliative care group had hospital admissions and fewer of those with cancer had planned hospital admissions. In contrast, no effects were observed regarding the overall number of hospital, emergency or outpatient admissions. Conflicting results were observed with regards to critical care utilization. Studies showed a trend toward shorter lengths of stay in hospital in the palliative care group. However, a single study that also considered inpatient time in hospice facilities found an increase in total length of stay, which showed a shift in the setting of health care utilization. We observed no conclusive trend in the effects on cost.

INTERPRETATION

Evidence suggests that pediatric palliative care programs may result in a shift of utilization to other health care settings beyond hospital care. These settings should be considered when measuring resource utilization and costs.