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Pediatric hospice care, though new, can be implemented by existing systems. Collaboration between pediatricians and colleagues is crucial for its successful development and delivery.
Area of Science:
- Palliative Care
- Pediatrics
- Healthcare Systems
Background:
- Pediatric hospice care is an emerging concept often misunderstood regarding its scope and nature.
- Existing caregivers and provider systems may already be implementing aspects of pediatric hospice care.
- Further development hinges on the expertise and collaboration of pediatricians and healthcare professionals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify the principles and scope of pediatric hospice care.
- To identify situations, needs, and contexts relevant to pediatric hospice care.
- To encourage collaborative efforts in delivering pediatric hospice services.
Main Methods:
- Review of core hospice philosophy principles applicable to pediatric patients.
- Analysis of diverse pediatric care scenarios and complicating factors.
- Examination of service delivery contexts and required skills.
Main Results:
- Identified key hospice principles relevant to pediatric care.
- Outlined three types of situations suitable for pediatric hospice care.
- Described a range of needs, complicating factors, and care delivery contexts.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric hospice care requires a multidisciplinary approach.
- Sensitivity, expertise, and cooperation are vital for successful implementation.
- Understanding the multifaceted nature of pediatric hospice care is essential for providers.
Abstract:
The concept of pediatric hospice care is in many ways a new one that is subject to misunderstanding, especially as to its character and scope. Nevertheless, with or without this particular title, implementation of pediatric hospice care may already be underway via existing caregivers and provider systems, and further development is dependent in large part upon the sensitivity, expertise, and cooperation of pediatricians and their colleagues. To encourage the collaborative effort that is required, this article reviews: the main principles of the hospice philosophy that are relevant to pediatric care, three types of situations involving children to which those principles might be applied, the wide range of needs and bewildering variety of factors that may complicate such care, three basic contexts within which this sort of care can be delivered, the multiplicity of skills that are relevant to this approach to care, and the many ways in which services can be provided.