Referral to a specialist paediatric palliative care service in oncology patients

Area of Science:

• Pediatric oncology
• Palliative care
• Childhood cancer outcomes

Background:

• Cancer is a leading cause of death in children and young people (0-19 years).
• In 2005, cancer accounted for 16.2% of deaths in this age group in England and Wales.
• Palliative care services aim to improve quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the referral rates of children and young people with cancer to a children's hospice.
• To identify patterns in referrals based on cancer type.
• To determine the potential for increasing access to specialist palliative care.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patient data.
• Examination of referral records to Martin House Children's Hospice (MH).
• Comparison of referral proportions with expected rates based on cancer diagnosis.

Main Results:

• Only 37.6% of children and young people who died from cancer in Yorkshire were referred to MH between 1990-2005.
• A higher proportion of patients with central nervous system tumors were referred.
• A lower than expected proportion of patients with leukemia or lymphoma were referred.

Conclusions:

• Referral rates to specialist palliative care for pediatric cancer patients in Yorkshire were suboptimal.
• Significant variations in referral patterns exist based on cancer diagnosis.
• There is a clear opportunity to enhance the integration of palliative care services for children with cancer.