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Paediatricians' perceptions on referrals to paediatric palliative care

C Knapp1, L Thompson, V Madden

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA. cak@ichp.ufl.edu

Palliative Medicine
|March 3, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Pediatricians

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Palliative Care
  • Healthcare Access
  • Medical Practice Management

Background:

  • Traditionally, pediatric palliative care referral occurred late in illness course.
  • Emerging evidence suggests early palliative care benefits children.
  • Understanding pediatrician referral patterns is crucial for program development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess pediatrician willingness to refer children for early palliative care.
  • To identify factors influencing early palliative care referral decisions.

Main Methods:

  • Survey data collected from 303 pediatricians in Florida and California.
  • Statistical analysis to determine associations between pediatrician characteristics and referral practices.

Main Results:

  • Increased years in practice correlated with decreased early referral odds.
  • Academic settings and higher Medicaid patient loads increased referral odds.
  • Hispanic ethnicity, greater experience, and hospital practice settings decreased referral odds.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatrician characteristics significantly influence early palliative care referral.
  • Targeted outreach strategies are needed for specific pediatrician groups.
  • Health planners should consider these factors when developing integrated pediatric palliative care programs.

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