Scoping Review on Transitions in the Context of Pediatric Palliative Care

Background: Children with complex and chronic conditions receiving palliative care will likely experience many transitions during their life and their treatments. Transition periods for children with life-limiting conditions and their families can be bewildering and highly anxiety-inducing. However, clinical observations seem to point to a more heterogenous care offer, including a lack or discontinuity of services, at the expense of their quality of life. Objective: This paper aims to establish a portrait of the existing literature and identify research gaps on the multiple transitions experienced by this population. Design: A scoping review is provided, following a PRISMA protocol. MEDLINE, PubMed and CINAHL were consulted. The search strategy is based on three key concepts: (1) palliative care/complex condition, (2) child/adolescent, and (3) transition. Articles were screened with the help of Covidence. Results: A total of 72 articles are included for analysis. The aimed population is either identified by age group or by medical status. Respondents are most often parents rather than the children themselves. Transitions include: reaching adulthood, changes in care environment, changes in medical status, and school integration. Conclusion: The discussion notices a definitional murkiness about transitions and highlights the fact that the multifaceted and complex nature of transition over time is largely ignored. New research should involve a diversity of participants and include children's voices. Recommendations include clearer concept definitions, health care policies that adopt an ecosystemic approach, and professional training in the systemic family approach in palliative care.