Education Initiative for Essential Conversations with Parents-Serious Illness Guide for Pediatrics (SICG-Peds©-Peds)

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Clinical Communication
• Serious Illness Management

Background:

• Pediatric clinicians face challenges in discussing serious illnesses with families.
• Effective communication is crucial for supporting children with serious illnesses and their families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the Serious Illness Guide for Pediatrics (SICG-Peds©) training on pediatric clinicians' confidence and knowledge.
• To assess the effectiveness of the SICG-Peds© training in preparing clinicians for difficult conversations.

Main Methods:

• Over two years, clinicians from British Columbia and Ontario attended SICG-Peds© training workshops.
• Pre- and post-workshop questionnaires assessed clinician confidence (1-10 scale) and knowledge.
• 134 and 140 clinicians attended workshops in BC and Ontario, respectively; 223 completed post-workshop surveys.

Main Results:

• 94.5% of surveyed clinicians reported enhanced knowledge of pediatric serious illness conversations (SIC).
• Confidence in initiating/leading SIC significantly increased from median 5 to 7 (P < .0001).
• Confidence in participating in SIC significantly increased from median 7 to 8 (P < .0001).

Conclusions:

• SICG-Peds© workshops significantly improved pediatric clinicians' confidence and knowledge in managing serious illness conversations.
• Participants reported positive improvements in effectiveness and knowledge enhancement.
• Further support needs include mentoring and in-clinical training for guide implementation.