Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 4, 2026
Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
[Palliative care for children in onco-hematology: Role of a specific home-care team]
Amandine Bertrand1, Anna Marcault-Derouard2, Yves Devaux3
1Centre Léon-Bérard, IHOPe, hospitalisation à domicile pédiatrique, 1, place du Pr-J.-Renaut, 69373 Lyon cedex 08, France.
Insights
Home-care services for pediatric cancer patients facilitate home deaths. Collaboration with general physicians, nurses, and families significantly increases the likelihood of home death for children needing palliative care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Palliative Care
- Home Healthcare
Background:
- Home-care unit (HCU) specializes in pediatric cancer patients with significant palliative care involvement.
- Introduction of home-care services may impact palliative care, place of death, and hospitalization duration.
- Study aimed to describe patient characteristics and care trajectories within the HCU, identifying factors for end-of-life home care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the characteristics and care course of pediatric onco-hematology patients treated in a specialized home-care unit (HCU).
- To identify factors influencing the decision for home care at the end of life for pediatric cancer patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective, observational, monocentric study.
- Inclusion of pediatric onco-hematology patients who died between July 1, 2013, and December 31, 2015, and received care in the HCU.
- Descriptive and analytic statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- Out of 66 eligible patients, 43 (65%) died at home.
- Pediatric oncology patients experienced significantly less traditional hospitalization in the last 3 months of life compared to hematology patients.
- Involvement of general physicians and nurses, along with family information, positively correlated with home death; no association found with age, distance, or living conditions.
Conclusions:
- The HCU demonstrates strong palliative care activity with a high rate of home deaths among pediatric cancer patients.
- Effective collaboration between pediatric onco-hematology teams, the HCU, and external caregivers is crucial for optimizing palliative care.
- Home-care services play a vital role in facilitating end-of-life care at home for children with cancer.
Background/Objective:
Our home-care unit (HCU) is specialized for pediatric cancer patients and has a strong palliative care activity. We believe that the introduction of home-care services can influence the place of palliative care and of death as well as the length of hospitalization. We aimed at describing characteristics and care course of patients treated in our HCU, and tried to identify some factors contributing to home care at the end of life.
Design/Methods:
We conducted a retrospective, observational, monocentric study about patients in pediatric onco-hematology, treated at least one day in our home-care unit, who died between July 1st 2013 and December 31st 2015. Statistical analysis was descriptive and analytic.
Results:
A total of 74 patients known by our HCU died during study period. Eight were excluded. Forty-three out of 66 patients died at home. During the last 3 months of life, oncology patients have significantly less classical hospitalization, when compared to hematology patients. The implication of general physicians (GP) and nurses and information given to the family increase the possibility for home death. No significant association was found between ages at death, distance between home and hospital, other life conditions and place of death.
Conclusions:
Our HCU has a strong palliative care activity and a high rate of children dying at home. Good collaborations between our pediatric onco-hematology team and our HCU as well as between our HCU and caregivers optimize palliative care.
More Related Videos
10:38Observational Study Protocol for Repeated Clinical Examination and Critical Care Ultrasonography Within the Simple Intensive Care Studies
Published on: January 16, 2019
04:00Author Spotlight: Assessing Surgical Frailty with Point-of-Care Ultrasound of Quadriceps Muscles
Published on: July 26, 2024
Related Concept Videos
01:21Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution...
01:18Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-II
Physical Therapist
A physical therapist (PT) aims to restore function or prevent additional impairment in a patient following an injury or disease. Massage, heat, cold, water, sonar waves, exercises, and electrical stimulation are some treatments used by PTs to treat...
01:25Continuing Care
01:22Standards of Care I
01:24Ostomy Care
An ostomy is a surgical procedure that creates an artificial opening from the intestines to the outside of the body, allowing for the rerouting of effluent. This opening is known as a stoma. A stoma usually protrudes above the skin surface, appearing pink or red, moist, and round, and it lacks nerve sensations.
There are different types of ostomies, including colostomies, ileostomies, and urostomies:
01:19Standards of Care II