Dying, dependency and death: Exploring palliative care access gaps for children.

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Pediatric Palliative Care
• Global Health

Background:

• Medicalization of death shifts focus from life-affirming phases to medical options.
• Over-reliance on individual autonomy in end-of-life decisions neglects relational aspects.
• Pediatric palliative care faces access gaps, particularly in Canada.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the meaning of death and dying as life events for Canadian children.
• To highlight the importance of dependency and inter-personalism in pediatric end-of-life care.
• To address the pediatric palliative care access gap and its relation to the Global Common Good.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of end-of-life care ethics.
• Exploration of inter-personalism and dependency in decision-making.
• Examination of the Canadian healthcare context for pediatric palliative care.

Main Results:

• Current end-of-life care models inadequately address the meaning of death for children.
• Canadian children's end-of-life care is challenged by inequitable access to specialized palliative care.
• The importance of family and caregiver relationships in pediatric end-of-life decisions is underexplored.

Conclusions:

• Emphasizing dependency and inter-personalism can reframe death as a meaningful life phase for children.
• Addressing the pediatric palliative care access gap is essential for ethical Global Health.
• Further research is needed on the meaning of end-of-life events for Canadian children.