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Palliative home care program for terminally ill children
1Dr. Charles A. Janeway Child Health Centre, St. John's, Newfoundland.
Insights
Pediatric oncology patients and families had unmet needs. A new palliative home care program was established to address these needs, improving care delivery and support.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Palliative Care
- Healthcare Program Development
Background:
- Existing care programs for pediatric oncology patients and families at a Newfoundland health center were found to be insufficient.
- Identified gaps in care highlighted unmet needs among this vulnerable population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the unmet needs of pediatric oncology patients and their families.
- To outline the development and implementation of a multidisciplinary palliative home care program.
- To discuss the operational procedures, follow-up, and evaluation of the new program.
Main Methods:
- Needs assessment of pediatric oncology patients and families.
- Development of a multidisciplinary palliative home care program model.
- Description of program operational procedures, patient follow-up protocols, and evaluation framework.
Main Results:
- The study identified specific unmet needs within the pediatric oncology patient and family cohort.
- A comprehensive palliative home care program was designed and implemented to address these identified needs.
- The program incorporated defined operational procedures, follow-up mechanisms, and an evaluation process.
Conclusions:
- The established palliative home care program effectively addressed the previously unmet needs of pediatric oncology patients and their families.
- Multidisciplinary home care models are crucial for comprehensive support in pediatric oncology.
- Program evaluation is essential for continuous improvement in specialized pediatric healthcare services.
Abstract:
A study conducted for the Dr. Charles A. Janeway Child Health Centre, St. John's, Newfoundland, determined that pediatric oncology patients and their families had needs that were not being met by the existing program of care. The article describes those needs, and then outlines the multidisciplinary palliative home care program that was established by the health centre to address them. The program's procedures of operation and follow-up, and the evaluation process are discussed.