Towards advance care planning in pediatrics: a qualitative study on envisioning the future as parents of a seriously ill child

A Nationwide Study to Evaluate Accessibility to Specialized Pediatric Palliative Care in Italy-Patients, Needs, and Critical Issues: The PalliPed Study

Background: PalliPed is the first Italian nationwide project aimed at describing the characteristics of patients accessing specialized pediatric palliative care (PPC) and their families, in the main care settings (hospice, home care, and hospital). The project's secondary aim is to assess the extent and quality of regional PPC networks/facilities and the number of dedicated resources. In this article, we present the results of the first part of the project. Methods: All Italian PPC centers/facilities were invited to participate in the project. Children and young adults in the care of the specialized PPC networks/structures as of 24 October, 2022, including prenatal care, were involved. Children's eligibility for specialized PPC was assessed according to the Assessment Form for Complex Clinical Needs in Pediatrics (ACCAPED Scale) and after a multidisciplinary assessment by the healthcare team. Data were collected through an online survey. Results: A total of 867 patients were described. The lack of adequate specialized PPC service emerged, according to the available estimate of specialized PPC needs, as well as the need for improved referral to PPC by pediatricians or territorial services, particularly for infants and oncological patients. More family support measures also seem necessary, particularly for the mothers. Healthcare providers' communication skills should be improved to ensure greater involvement of patients and families in care decisions. Conclusions: This analysis represents the first step toward defining a constantly updated database for the census and monitoring of specialized PPC activities at the national level. This research model can be extended to other realities in different countries, allowing comparison of different care models.

Feasibility of a Serious Illness Communication Program for Pediatric Advance Care Planning

Importance

Pediatric advance care planning (ACP), which aims to ensure care is aligned with family goals and values, is associated with better end-of-life outcomes; however, ACP in pediatrics remains uncommon.

Objectives

To determine the feasibility and acceptability of the Pediatric Serious Illness Communication Program (PediSICP) and explore family-centered outcomes.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study was a single-group pilot study of the PediSICP in adolescents and young adults (AYAs; age ≥13 y) with serious illness, parents of seriously ill children, and interprofessional clinicians from April 2021 to March 2023 in a quaternary care pediatric hospital. Duration of follow-up was 1 month. Data were analyzed from January 2022 to March 2023.

Exposure

The PediSICP includes clinician training preceding an ACP communication occasion supported by communication guides and a template for electronic medical record documentation.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Outcomes of interest were parent, patient, and clinician experiences with and perceptions of the PediSICP. Feasibility was defined a priori as at least 70% clinician intervention completion rates.

Results

A total of 10 virtual trainings were conducted among 40 clinicians, including 27 physicians, 7 nurse practitioners, 5 nurses, and 1 respiratory therapist, and 30 trained clinicians (75%) conducted and documented 42 ACP conversations with 33 parents (median [IQR] age, 43 [35-51] years; 25 [76%] female) and 5 AYAs (median [IQR] age, 19 [17-19] years; 3 [60%] female) who completed the intervention. The median (IQR) conversation duration was 27 (10-45) minutes. Most clinicians (29 clinicians [97%]) agreed that they felt prepared for the conversation, and all clinicians recommended the PediSICP. Parents reported participation was worthwhile (27 parents [84%]), they felt listened to (31 parents [94%]), and would recommend the PediSICP (28 parents [85%]). Parents endorsed higher therapeutic alliance after the PediSICP intervention compared with before (The Human Connection scale mean [SD] score, 57.6 [6.4] vs 55.3 [7.8]; P = .03) and decreased anxiety immediately after the intervention (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7-item mean [SD] score, 10.1 [7.3] vs 8.4 [6.9]; P = .003), which persisted at the 1-month follow-up (mean [SD] score, 7.7 [6.8]; P = .03).

Conclusions and Relevance

This pilot cohort study found that the PediSICP was feasible, acceptable, and highly valued by clinicians and parents of children with serious illness. These findings suggest that the PediSICP may empower interprofessional clinicians and improve ACP with families of children and AYAs who are seriously ill.

Incorporating parental values in complex paediatric and perinatal decisions

Incorporating parental values in complex medical decisions for young children is important but challenging. In this Review, we explore what it means to incorporate parental values in complex paediatric and perinatal decisions. We provide a narrative overview of the paediatric, ethics, and medical decision-making literature, focusing on value-based and ethically complex decisions for children who are too young to express their own preferences. We explain key concepts and definitions, discuss paediatric-specific features, reflect on challenges in learning and expressing values for both parents and health-care providers, and provide recommendations for clinical practice. Decisional values are informed by global and external values and could relate to the child, the parents, and the whole family. These values should inform preferences and assure value-congruent choices. Additionally, parents might hold various meta values on the process of decision making itself. Complex decisions for young children are emotionally taxing, ethically difficult, and often surrounded by uncertainty. These contextual factors make it more likely that values and preferences are initially absent or unstable and need to be constructed or stabilised. Health-care professionals and parents should work together to construct and clarify values and incorporate them into personalised decisions for the child. An open communication style, with unbiased and tailored information in a supportive environment, is helpful. Dedicated training in communication and shared decision making could help to improve the incorporation of parental values in complex decisions for young children.

Barriers to the spiritual care of parents taking care of their child with a life-limiting condition at home

The changes that parents face when caring for a child with a life-limiting condition at home can affect them on a spiritual level. Yet, indications remain that parents do not feel supported when dealing with spiritual issues related to caring for a severely ill child. This paper explores, from the perspectives of bereaved parents, chaplains, grief counselors, and primary health care providers, the barriers to supporting the spiritual needs of parents. We conducted a qualitative focus group study from a constructivist point with chaplains/grief counselors, primary care professionals, and bereaved parents. All groups participated in two consecutive focus group sessions. Data were thematically analyzed. Six chaplains/grief counselors, 6 care professionals, and 5 parents participated. We identified six barriers: (1) There were difficulties in identifying and communicating spiritual care needs. (2) The action-oriented approach to health care hinders the identification of spiritual care needs. (3) There is an existing prejudice that spiritual care needs are by nature confrontational or difficult to address. (4) Spiritual support is not structurally embedded in palliative care. (5) There is a lack of knowledge and misconceptions about existing support. (6) Seeking out spiritual support is seen as too demanding.

CONCLUSION

 Parents of children with life-limiting conditions face existential challenges. However, care needs are often not identified, and existing support is not recognized as such. The main challenge is to provide care professionals and parents with the tools and terminology that suit existing care needs.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Spiritual care needs are an important aspect of pediatric palliative care. • Parents of children with life-limiting conditions feel unsupported when dealing with spiritual questions.

WHAT IS NEW

• Parents and professionals mention barriers that hinder spiritual support for parents. • There is a disconnect between existing support and the care needs that parents have.

Parental Ethical Decision Making and Implications for Advance Care Planning: A Systematic Review and Secondary Analysis of Qualitative Literature from England and Wales, Germany, and the Netherlands

Background: Clinicians and parents are expected to make medical treatment decisions in the child's best interests. To reach their decisions, clinicians typically apply a principled approach outlined by Beauchamp and Childress. How parents make ethical decisions is an under-researched area. A possible model for parental decision making is the Ethics of Care (EoC) theory. Ethical decision making within this framework aims to preserve the caring relationship. What is right or wrong depends on the circumstances at the time. Objective: To identify the parental ethical values and determine whether parental decision making is consistent with EoC, a systematic review and secondary analysis of qualitative research from England and Wales, the Netherlands, and Germany was performed. As part of a larger project investigating conflicts between parents and clinicians about children's medical treatment, the choice of countries was determined by differences in litigation. Methods: Eight databases were searched for articles published between 2010 and 2020 reporting on at least one medical treatment decision made by parents of a child with any life-limiting condition and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Twelve included articles directly addressing advance care planning (ACP) were reanalyzed to investigate whether this specific decision parents are increasingly being asked to make is also consistent with EoC. Results: Forty-three articles were included. Parents use the same 6 ethical values which, consistent with EoC, are mostly in the context of their relationship with the child. All values contributed to the previously identified theme of "being a good parent/person." Analysis of parental decision making in ACP confirmed consistency with EoC. Conclusion: The parental decision-making process is consistent with EoC. That parental decisions aim to maintain the caring relationship and are dependent on the circumstances at the time has implications for parental decision making in ACP and should be reflected in future policies.

Palliative care for children: methodology for the development of a national clinical practice guideline

BACKGROUND

Provision of paediatric palliative care for children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions and their families is often complex. Guidelines can support professionals to deliver high quality care. Stakeholders expressed the need to update the first Dutch paediatric palliative care guideline with new scientific literature and new topics. This paper provides an overview of the methodology that is used for the revision of the Dutch paediatric palliative care guideline and a brief presentation of the identified evidence.

METHODS

The revised paediatric palliative care guideline was developed with a multidisciplinary guideline panel of 72 experts in paediatric palliative care and nine (bereaved) parents of children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions. The guideline covered multiple topics related to (refractory) symptom treatment, advance care planning and shared-decision making, organisation of care, psychosocial care, and loss and bereavement. We established six main working groups that formulated 38 clinical questions for which we identified evidence by updating two existing systematic literature searches. The GRADE (CERQual) methodology was used for appraisal of evidence. Furthermore, we searched for additional literature such as existing guidelines and textbooks to deal with lack of evidence.

RESULTS

The two systematic literature searches yielded a total of 29 RCTs or systematic reviews of RCTs on paediatric palliative care interventions and 22 qualitative studies on barriers and facilitators of advance care planning and shared decision-making. We identified evidence for 14 out of 38 clinical questions. Furthermore, we were able to select additional literature (29 guidelines, two textbooks, and 10 systematic reviews) to deal with lack of evidence.

CONCLUSIONS

The revised Dutch paediatric palliative care guideline addresses many topics. However, there is limited evidence to base recommendations upon. Our methodology will combine the existing evidence in scientific literature, additional literature, expert knowledge, and perspectives of patients and their families to provide recommendations.

Are We on the Same Page? Exploring Pediatric Patients' Involvement With Advance Care Planning

BACKGROUND

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have a right to be heard. This also applies to patients in pediatric palliative care (PPC). The aim of this literature review was to explore what is known about the involvement of children (<14 years of age), adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in advance care planning (ACP) in PPC.

METHODS

A search was conducted in PubMed including publications from January 1, 2002 until December 31, 2021. The identified citations had to report on ACP or related terms in any PPC context.

RESULTS

A total of n = 471 unique reports were identified. Final inclusion criteria were met by n = 21 reports, including children and AYAs with diagnoses related to oncology, neurology, HIV/AIDS and cystic fibrosis. Nine reports were from randomized controlled studies, investigating ACP methodology. The main findings were: 1) caregivers are included more often than children and adolescents in ACP, 2) some studies indicate an incongruence between AYAs and their caregivers regarding ACP and treatment preferences, 3) although the process evokes a wide range of emotions, ACP is perceived as helpful by many AYAs CONCLUSION: The majority of studies about ACP in PPC do not include children and AYAs. Whether incongruence reported in some studies between AYAs and their caregivers regarding treatment preferences could be reduced by ACP should be further explored, including the involvement of children and adolescents in ACP, and the impact of pediatric ACP on patient outcomes in PPC.

Advance Care Planning in the Netherlands

The Dutch health care system fosters a strong public health sector offering accessible generalist care including generalist palliative care. General practitioners are well positioned to conduct ACP, for example, to continue or initiate conversations after hospitalization. However, research shows that ACP conversations are often ad hoc and in frail patients, ACP is often only initiated when admitted to a nursing home by elderly care physicians who are on the staff. Tools that raise awareness of triggers to initiate ACP, screening tools, information brochures, checklists and training have been developed and implemented with funding by national programs which currently focus on implementation projects rather than or in addition to, research. The programs commonly require educational deliverables, patient and public involvement and addressing diversity in patient groups. A major challenge is how to implement ACP systematically and continuously across sectors and disciplines in a way that supports a proactive yet person-centered approach rather than an approach with an exclusive focus on medical procedures. Digital solutions can support continuity of care and communication about care plans. Solutions should fit a culture that prefers trust-based, informal deliberative approaches. This may be supported by involving disciplines other than medicine, such as nursing and spiritual caregiving, and public health approaches.

Pediatric Advance Care Planning: A Scoping Review

To assess current practice and provide a basis for a provincial template, clinicians at a Canadian pediatric hospice reviewed the literature surrounding pediatric advance care planning (pACP) documentation, process, and implementation for children/youth. The scoping review protocol was developed in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews, and was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework. MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, the Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar, as well as sources of unpublished studies and grey literature, were reviewed. Sixty-four articles met the criteria. Fifteen pACP documentation forms/tools were also identified. Overall, the included articles highlighted that pACP should be a structured, collaborative and iterative process between the family and a trusted or relevant healthcare provider, encompassing medical and non-medical issues. Few articles provided insights into specific elements recommended for advance directive forms. Identified strategies for implementation included a structured, step-by-step pACP interventional tool along with ongoing training, mentorship, and defined organizational structures for the clinician. No single specific ACP tool was acknowledged as the gold standard. Use of a pACP tool, along with ongoing provider education and communication skill development, standardized/accessible documentation, and system-wide quality improvement support, were noted as integral components of pACP.

The dignity of terminally ill children in pediatric palliative care: perspectives of parents and healthcare providers

BACKGROUND

The Chochinov Dignity Model was developed based on a cohort of adult patients with advanced cancer, but its role among dying children is not clear. This study aims to develop a model of dignity for children receiving pediatric palliative care based on the Chochinov Dignity Model.

METHODS

This is a descriptive qualitative study. Participants included a total of 11 parents and 14 healthcare providers who were recruited from a tertiary children's hospital in Beijing and the Pediatric Palliative Care Subspecialty Group of the Pediatrics Society of the Chinese Medical Association using purposive sampling. Thematic framework analysis was used to analyze data.

RESULTS

The themes of the empirical Dignity Model were broadly supported in this study, but some themes were interpreted differently in the child population. Compared with the original model, some child-specific themes were identified including acknowledging regret, a sense of security, the company of important loved ones, realizing unfinished wishes, decent and dignified death, resolving family disputes, and fairness.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study on Dignity Model for terminal children. Knowledge of children's dignity can promote reflection of healthcare providers and caregivers regarding the values underlying their performance in pediatric palliative care, and develop certain practical interventions to strengthen children and their families' sense of dignity at end of life.

The immaturity of patient engagement in value-based healthcare-A systematic review

Introduction

In recent years, Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC) has been gaining traction, particularly in hospitals. A core VBHC element is patient value, i.e., what matters most to the patient and at what cost can this be delivered. This interpretation of value implies patient engagement in patient-doctor communication. Although patient engagement in direct care in the VBHC setting is well described, patient engagement at the organizational level of improving care has hardly been studied. This systematic review maps current knowledge regarding the intensity and impact of patient engagement in VBHC initiatives. We focus on the organizational level of a continuous patient engagement model.

Methods

We performed a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines using five electronic databases. The search strategy yielded 1,546 records, of which 21 studies were eligible for inclusion. Search terms were VBHC and patient engagement, or similar keywords, and we included only empirical studies in hospitals or transmural settings at the organizational level.

Results

We found that consultation, using either questionnaires or interviews by researchers, is the most common method to involve patients in VBHC. Higher levels of patient engagement, such as advisory roles, co-design, or collaborative teams are rare. We found no examples of the highest level of patient engagement such as patients co-leading care improvement committees.

Conclusion

This study included 21 articles, the majority of which were observational, resulting in a limited quality of evidence. Our review shows that patient engagement at the organizational level in VBHC initiatives still relies on low engagement tools such as questionnaires and interviews. Higher-level engagement tools such as advisory roles and collaborative teams are rarely used. Higher-level engagement offers opportunities to improve healthcare and care pathways through co-design with the people being served. We urge VBHC initiatives to embrace all levels of patient engagement to ensure that patient values find their way to the heart of these initiatives.

Prognostic and Goals-of-Care Communication in the PICU: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

Admission to the PICU may result in substantial short- and long-term morbidity for survivors and their families. Engaging caregivers in discussion of prognosis is challenging for PICU clinicians. We sought to summarize the literature on prognostic, goals-of-care conversations (PGOCCs) in the PICU in order to establish current evidence-based practice, highlight knowledge gaps, and identify future directions.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed (MEDLINE and PubMed Central), EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus.

STUDY SELECTION

We reviewed published articles (2001-2022) that examined six themes within PGOCC contextualized to the PICU: 1) caregiver perspectives, 2) clinician perspectives, 3) documentation patterns, 4) communication skills training for clinicians, 5) family conferences, and 6) prospective interventions to improve caregiver-clinician communication.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two reviewers independently assessed eligibility using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis methodology.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Of 1,420 publications screened, 65 met criteria for inclusion with several key themes identified. Parent and clinician perspectives highlighted the need for clear, timely, and empathetic prognostic communication. Communication skills training programs are evaluated by a participant's self-perceived improvement. Caregiver and clinician views on quality of family meetings may be discordant. Documentation of PGOCCs is inconsistent and most likely to occur shortly before death. Only two prospective interventions to improve caregiver-clinician communication in the PICU have been reported. The currently available studies reflect an overrepresentation of bereaved White, English-speaking caregivers of children with known chronic conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Future research should identify evidence-based communication practices that enhance caregiver-clinician PGOCC in the PICU and address: 1) caregiver and clinician perspectives of underserved and limited English proficiency populations, 2) inclusion of caregivers who are not physically present at the bedside, 3) standardized communication training programs with broader multidisciplinary staff inclusion, 4) improved design of patient and caregiver educational materials, 5) the development of pediatric decision aids, and 6) inclusion of long-term post-PICU outcomes as a measure for PGOCC interventions.

Advance care plan discussion among parents of children with cerebral palsy

AIM

To evaluate parental perception of advance care plan (ACP) discussions in families of Malaysian children with bilateral cerebral palsy (CP) classified in Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV or V for (1) acceptance of the ACP discussion, (2) feedback on the usefulness of ACP discussion, and (3) exploration of possible factors related to parental acceptance of ACP.

METHOD

This was a prospective pre- and post-ACP discussion questionnaire study for parents of children with bilateral CP.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine patients were recruited to the study; 64 (93%) had at least one additional comorbidity. The median age was 8 years (interquartile range 5 years 1 month-11 years 6 months). Fifty-seven (82.6%) parents found the ACP discussion acceptable, and most reported positive feedback on various components of the discussion (88.4-97.1%). One-third of participants were not comfortable discussing end-of-life care plans. On multivariate analysis, parents who were comfortable discussing end-of-life care plans were more likely to find the ACP discussion acceptable (odds ratio 27.78, 95% confidence interval 2.9-265.1, p = 0.004).

INTERPRETATION

Most parents of Malaysian children with bilateral CP reported the ACP discussion as both acceptable and beneficial. Parents need to be comfortable about discussing end-of-life care plans for their child to enable the ACP discussion to be an acceptable experience.

Effect of the Family-Centered Advance Care Planning for Teens with Cancer Intervention on Sustainability of Congruence About End-of-Life Treatment Preferences: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

The effect of pediatric advance care planning (pACP) on the sustainability of end-of-life treatment preference congruence between adolescents with cancer and their families has not been examined.

Objective

To evaluate the longitudinal efficacy of the Family-Centered Advance Care Planning for Teens with Cancer (FACE-TC) intervention to sustain adolescent-family congruence about end-of-life treatment preferences.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This multisite, assessor-blinded, randomized clinical trial enrolled adolescents with cancer (aged 14-21 years) and their family members from 4 pediatric hospitals between July 16, 2016, and April 30, 2019. Participants were randomized 2:1 to FACE-TC (intervention group) or treatment as usual (control group) and underwent 5 follow-up visits over an 18-month postintervention period. Intention-to-treat analyses were conducted from March 9, 2021, to April 14, 2022.

Exposures

Adolescent-family dyads randomized to the FACE-TC group received 3 weekly 60-minute sessions consisting of the discussion and/or completion of the Lyon Family-Centered Advance Care Planning Survey (session 1), Respecting Choices Next Steps pACP conversation (session 2), and Five Wishes advance directive (session 3). Dyads in the control group received treatment as usual. Both groups received pACP information.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Congruence was measured by completion of the Statement of Treatment Preferences (a document that discusses 4 hypothetical clinical situations and treatment choices for each scenario: continue all treatments, stop all efforts to keep me alive, or unsure) after session 2 (time 1) and at 3 months (time 2), 6 months (time 3), 12 months (time 4), and 18 months (time 5) after intervention. The influence of FACE-TC on the trajectory of congruence over time was measured by longitudinal latent class analysis.

Results

A total of 252 participants (126 adolescent-family dyads) were randomized. Adolescents (mean [SD] age, 17 [1.9] years) and family members (mean [SD] age, 46 [8.3] years) were predominantly female (72 [57%] and 104 [83%]) and White individuals (100 [79%] and 103 [82%]). There was an 83% (104 of 126) retention at the 18-month assessment. Two latent classes of congruence over time were identified: high-congruence latent class (69 of 116 [60%]) and low-congruence latent class (47 of 116 [41%]). The dyads in the FACE-TC group had a 3-fold odds of being in the high-congruence latent class (odds ratio [OR], 3.22; 95% CI, 1.09-9.57) compared with the control group. Statistically significant differences existed at 12 months (β [SE] = 1.17 [0.55]; P = .03]) but not at 18 months (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 0.92-4.69). In the high-congruence latent class, good agreement (agreement on 2 or 3 of 4 situations) increased over 12 months. White adolescents and families had significantly greater odds of congruence than a small population of American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, or multiracial adolescents and families (OR, 3.97; 95% CI, 1.07-14.69).

Conclusions and Relevance

Results of this trial showed that, for those who received the FACE-TC intervention, the families' knowledge of their adolescents' end-of-life treatment preferences was sustained for 1 year, suggesting yearly follow-up sessions. Race and ethnicity-based differences in the sustainability of this knowledge reflect a difference in the effect of the intervention and require further study.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02693665.

Discipline-Specific Perspectives on Caring for Babies with Trisomy 13 or 18 in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

OBJECTIVE

Care offerings vary across medical settings and between families for babies with trisomy 13 or 18. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore nurse, advanced practice practitioner, and neonatologist perspectives on care for babies with trisomy 13 or 18 in the intensive care unit.

STUDY DESIGN

Voice-recorded qualitative interviews occurred with 64 participants (41 bedside nurses, 14 advance practice practitioners, and 9 neonatologists) from two neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in the midwestern United States. Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines were followed. Content analyses occurred utilizing MAXQDA (VERBI Software, 2020).

RESULTS

Over half of NICU staff perceived care for babies with trisomy 13 or 18 as different from care for other babies with critical chronic illness. Qualitative themes included internal conflict, variable presentation and prognosis, grappling with uncertainty, family experiences, and provision of meaningful care. Neonatologists emphasized the variability of presentation and prognosis, while nurses emphasized provision of meaningful care. Phrases "hard/difficult" were spoken 31 times; primarily describing the comorbidities, complexities, and prognostic uncertainty.

CONCLUSION

Care for babies with these genetic diagnoses reveals need for a shared dialogue not only with families but also across staff disciplines. While perspectives differ, participants depicted striving to offer compassionate, family-centered care while also balancing biomedical uncertainty about interventions for children with trisomy 13 and 18.

KEY POINTS

· Care for babies with trisomy 13 or 18 has been recognized as shifting.. · Controversy exists across the diverse and changing range of care models.. · This study describes perspectives of bedside neonatal nurses, advanced practitioners, and neonatologists.. · Differences in perspectives warrant attentiveness to insights and dialogue across disciplines..

Paediatric advance care planning in life-limiting conditions: scoping review of parent experiences

Background

Advance care planning is considered best practice for children and young people with life-limiting conditions but there is limited evidence how parents’ perceive, understand and engage with the process.

Aim

To understand parents’ experience of advance care planning for a child or young person with a life-limiting condition.

Design

Scoping review, theoretically informed by Family Sense of Coherence. Parents’ experience was conceptualised in terms of meaningfulness, comprehensibility and manageability.

Data sources

Electronic databases Medline, CINAHL and PyschINFO were searched for studies published between 1990 and 2021, using MeSH and broad-base terms.

Results

150 citations were identified and screened; 15 studies were included: qualitative (n=10), survey (n=3) and participatory research (n=2). Parents’ experience of advance care planning was contextualised by their family values and beliefs, needs and goals and the day-to-day impact of caring for their child and family. They valued conversations, which helped them to maximise their child’s quality of life and minimise their suffering. They preferred flexible, rather than definitive decisions about end-of-life care and treatment.

Conclusions

Advance care planning which solely focuses on treatment decisions is at odds with parents’ concerns about the current and future impact of illness on their child and family. Parents want advance care planning for their child to reflect what matters to them as a family. Future longitudinal and comparative studies are needed to understand the influence of advance care planning on parental decision-making over time and how social, cultural and contextual nuances influence parental experience.

The BOOST paediatric advance care planning intervention for adolescents with cancer and their parents: development, acceptability and feasibility

Background

Although advance care planning (ACP) has been widely recommended to support patient and family engagement in understanding the patient’s values, preferences and goals of care, there are only a few models in paediatric oncology that capture ACP as a process of behaviour change. We aimed to develop and test the acceptability and feasibility of BOOST pACP (Benefits of Obtaining Ownership Systematically Together in paediatric Advance Care Planning) – an intervention to improve ACP in adolescents with cancer, their parents and paediatric oncologists.

Methods

Several methods informed the intervention development process: 1) Problem identification: interviews with 11 healthcare professionals working in paediatric oncology; 2) Identification of evidence: literature review of existing pACP tools and barriers and facilitators in performing pACP; 3) Logic model and 4) Intervention design: collaborative expert meetings with researchers and professionals in pACP; 5a) Acceptability test of the materials: interviews with nine healthcare professionals, four adolescents and young adults with cancer and six parents; 5b) Feasibility test of core intervention components with three families, including interviews about their experiences.

Results

The BOOST pACP intervention was iteratively developed and adapted, based on feedback from families, healthcare professionals, and pACP experts (e.g., components were changed, deleted, and added; formulation of themes and associated questions were amended to enhance acceptability). The core components of the BOOST pACP intervention include: four ACP conversation sessions with the adolescent and/or parent(s) provided by a trained facilitator, structured by interactive conversation cards covering different ACP themes, followed by a transfer of information from the intervention facilitator to the paediatric oncologist. Core intervention components were deemed feasible by all participating families.

Conclusion

The BOOST pACP intervention was developed by close involvement of both adolescent patients and their parents, healthcare professionals and pACP experts. The final intervention and supporting materials are considered appropriate and feasible. Its effectiveness in improving parent-adolescent communication on ACP themes is currently being tested in a multi-centre randomised controlled trial. Researchers aiming to develop a complex psychosocial intervention for a vulnerable target group could use the step-by-step approach described in this paper.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-022-03247-9.

Parents' experiences of initiation of paediatric advance care planning discussions: a qualitative study

Advance care planning enables parents to discuss their goal and wishes for the future treatment and care of their life-limited or life-threatened child. Whilst research has identified the barriers clinicians face to initiate such discussions, the views of the parents have received scant attention. This qualitative study, using reflexive thematic analysis, aimed to explore parents' experience of the initiation of their child's advance care planning discussions, to help provide an understanding to inform future practice. Single interviews were undertaken with 17 non-bereaved and bereaved parents. Parents reported they had engaged with future thinking but needed time before initiating this with clinicians. They identified the need for a trusted professional and time for private, thorough, non-judgemental discussion without feeling clinicians were 'giving up'. Parents reported that advance care planning discussions were not always aligned to the dynamics of family life. They felt that health professionals were responsible for initiating advance planning conversations according to the families' individual requirements. There was an apparent lack of standardised protocols to assist paediatric advance care planning discussion initiation.Conclusion: Initiating advance care planning is a complicated process that needs to be tailored to the specific parent and child situation. Health professionals need to appreciate that parents are key contributors to initiate engagement with advance care planning discussions but that they also require support and care, recognising this may facilitate the building of trust, identified as a key corner stone, of paediatric advance care planning initiation and engagement. What is Known: • In paediatric palliative care, parents are challenged with wanting to sustain hope whilst thinking and planning for their child's end of life. Paediatric advance care planning discussions are often delayed or avoided and triggered by physical deterioration. What is New: • Previous relationship with HCP not essential but parental trust of the HCP is fundamental to Paediatric advance care planning initiation engagement. To build mutual trust health professionals' approach needs to be professional, respectful and empathetic to the parent and child's situation. • Subtle paediatric advance care planning parent initiation preparation by HCP is often unnoticed by parents but may be the crux of empowering parents to initiate advance care planning conversations themselves as they need to feel a sense of regaining control before planning ahead.

Using Quality Improvement Science to Create a Navigator in the Electronic Health Record for the Consolidation of Patient Information Surrounding Pediatric End-of-Life Care

BACKGROUND

It is important to document the domains surrounding end-of-life (EOL) care in the electronic health record (EHR). No pediatric navigator exists for these purposes.

MEASURES

Medical charts were reviewed for documentation surrounding code status and care at the time of death from January 2017 to June 2019.

INTERVENTION

Creation of a navigator in the EHR to consolidate advance care planning documents, code status orders and notes and EOL flowsheets.

OUTCOMES

After implementing the navigator, 96% code status changes had supporting documentation, an increase of 35%. The percentage of deaths supported by a psychosocial team (social worker, chaplain and certified child life specialist) increased by 25%. Post-mortem documentation became electronic. Patient level metrics began to be electronically collected.

CONCLUSIONS/LESSONS LEARNED

Little has been published regarding use of the EHR to consolidate EOL documentation in pediatrics. Development of a systematic approach to documentation is critical to providing EOL care and standardizing care delivered.

Chronically ill children's participation and health outcomes in shared decision-making: a scoping review

Based on the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (CRC), it is a child's right to participate in all matters concerning its wellbeing. Little is known about chronically and/or critically ill children's participation in pediatric shared decision-making (SDM). We explored medical literature to see if and how these children participate in pediatric SDM. We searched relevant medical databases published between January 2008 and January 2020 for studies targeting children aged 4-18 years old, suffering from a chronic and/or critical disease. We found 9 relevant studies. SDM interventions mostly used were decision aids (n=8), questionnaires for caretakers/parents and children (n=4), and a SDM toolkit (n=2). Perceived involvement in SDM and knowledge increased amongst children, adolescents, and caretakers following these interventions. Decisional conflict measured using the 0-100 point DCS scale (higher scores indicate more decisional conflict) was reduced by 15.9 points in one study (p<0.01) and 17.8 points in another (95%CI: 13.3-22.9). Lower scores were associated with higher satisfaction with the decision aid by children, caretakers, and clinicians.Conclusion: Stakeholders should advocate initiatives to facilitate a child's participation preferences regarding pediatric SDM since decision support tools help chronically ill children to be more involved in SDM as they increase the children's knowledge and satisfaction and reduce decisional conflicts. What is Known: • Decision aids can help improve participation, knowledge, satisfaction, and health outcomes. • Quality and consistency of the information exchange impact quality and outcome of SDM. What is New: • Depending on a child's age, evolving capacities, and communication and participation preferences, more evidence is needed on which tools are suitable for chronically ill children to ensure their preferred participation in pediatric SDM. • Pediatricians adopt healthcare SDM tools and techniques that do not always take into account that a child's right to participate in pediatric SDM including the tendency to use interventions that are not specifically designed for pediatrics.

Specialized Pediatric Palliative Care Services in Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Centers

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is widely used in pediatric patients as a successful curative therapy for life-threatening conditions. The treatment is intensive, with risks of serious complications and lethal outcomes. This study aimed to provide insight into current data on the place and cause of death of transplanted children, the available specialized pediatric palliative care services (SPPCS), and what services HSCT professionals feel the SPPCS team should provide. First, a retrospective database analysis on the place and cause of death of transplanted pediatric HSCT patients was performed. Second, a survey was performed addressing the availability of and views on SPPCS among HSCT professionals. Database analysis included 233 patients of whom the majority died in-hospital: 38% in the pediatric intensive care unit, 20% in HSCT units, 17% in other hospitals, and 14% at home or in a hospice (11% unknown). For the survey, 98 HSCT professionals from 54 centers participated. Nearly all professionals indicated that HSCT patients should have access to SPPCS, especially for pain management, but less than half routinely referred to this service at an early stage. We, therefore, advise HSCT teams to integrate advance care planning for pediatric HSCT patients actively, ideally from diagnosis, to ensure timely SPPCS involvement and maximize end-of-life preparation.

Development of a Stakeholder Driven Serious Illness Communication Program for Advance Care Planning in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults with Serious Illness

OBJECTIVES

To develop a generalizable advance care planning (ACP) intervention for children, adolescents, and young adults with serious illness using a multistage, stakeholder-driven approach.

STUDY DESIGN

We first convened an expert panel of multidisciplinary health care providers (HCPs), researchers, and parents to delineate key ACP intervention elements. We then adapted an existing adult guide for use in pediatrics and conducted focus groups and interviews with HCPs, parents, and seriously ill adolescents and young adults to contextualize perspectives on ACP communication and our Pediatric Serious Illness Communication Program (PediSICP). Using thematic analysis, we identified guide adaptations, preferred content, and barriers for Pedi-SICP implementation. Expert panelists then reviewed, amended and finalized intervention components.

RESULTS

Stakeholders (34 HCPs, 9 parents, and 7 seriously ill adolescents and young adults) participated in focus groups and interviews. Stakeholders validated and refined the guide and PediSICP intervention and identified barriers to PediSICP implementation, including the need for HCP training, competing demands, uncertainty regarding timing, and documentation of ACP discussions.

CONCLUSIONS

The finalized PediSICP intervention includes a structured HCP and family ACP communication occasion supported by a 3-part communication tool and bolstered by focused HCP training. We also identified strategies to ameliorate implementation barriers. Future research will determine the feasibility of the PediSICP and whether it improves care alignment with patient and family goals.

Evaluation showed that stakeholders valued the support provided by the Implementing Pediatric Advance Care Planning Toolkit

AIM

This study described the development, and pilot evaluation, of the Implementing Pediatric Advance Care Planning Toolkit (IMPACT).

METHODS

Key elements of paediatric advance care planning (ACP) were defined using a systematic review, a survey of 168 paediatricians and qualitative studies of 13 children with life-limiting conditions, 20 parents and 18 paediatricians. Participants were purposively recruited from six Dutch university hospitals during September 2016 and November 2018. Key elements were translated into intervention components guided by theory. The acceptability of the content was evaluated by a qualitative pilot study during February and September 2019. This focused on 27 children with life-limiting conditions from hospitals, a hospice and home care, together with 41 parents, 11 physicians and seven nurses who cared for them.

RESULTS

IMPACT provided a holistic, caring approach to ACP, gave children a voice and cared for their parents. It provided information on ACP for families and clinicians, manuals to structure ACP conversations and training for clinicians in communication skills and supportive attitudes. The 53 pilot study participants felt that IMPACT was appropriate for paediatric ACP.

CONCLUSION

IMPACT was an appropriate intervention that supported a holistic approach towards paediatric ACP, focused on the child's perspective and provided care for their parents.

Evaluation of the "3 Good Questions" program for shared decision-making in pediatric medicine: a feasibility study

The "3 Good Questions" program was developed to increase shared decision making. The current pilot-study determined the feasibility of these questions to increase shared decision-making in Dutch pediatric medicine. Pre-/postintervention surveys were used to include children (10-18 years) at pediatric outpatient clinics of four hospitals in the Netherlands. After their appointment, two different groups of children completed the questionnaires. Group 1 filled in the survey before the intervention; group 2 completed the survey after active implementation of the "3 Good Questions" program. The primary outcome was to determine the feasibility (reach, applicability). Secondary outcomes were related to patient involvement in healthcare and treatment decisions and decision-making process between child and healthcare professional. In total, 168 and 114 children in groups 1 and 2 (61 vs 63% female, P = 0.68; age 13.3 ± 2.4 vs 13.8 ± 2.4 years, P = 0.72), respectively, completed the questionnaire. In group 2, 44% of children were aware of the "3 Good Questions", of whom 18% posed ≥ 1 of the "3 Good Questions" during their appointment (feasibility). The "3 Good Questions" program led to more shared decision-making (SDM-Q-9: P = < 0.001;95%CI: - 2.43 to - 1.17). The majority of children who have read or heard of the "3 Good Questions" would recommend this program to other children.Conclusion: Implementation of the "3 Good Questions" program seemed feasible, although it is necessary to further explore the implementation of this program at national level as a simple way for children and healthcare professionals to share decisions in practice. What is known • Children have the right to be included in decision-making, and inclusion can improve patient satisfaction and quality of care, and reduce costs. • The "3 Good Questions" program was successfully implemented in adult healthcare to increase shared decision making, and therefore these "3 Good Questions" have been adapted to a child version. What is new • In this pilot study, we found that the implementation of the "3 Good Questions" program to increase shared decision-making in pediatric medicine seemed feasible. Although it is necessary to further explore the implementation of the "3 Good Questions" program at national level as a simple way for children and healthcare professionals to share decisions in practice.

Anticipating the future of the child and family in pediatric palliative care: a qualitative study into the perspectives of parents and healthcare professionals

Preparing for future scenarios in pediatric palliative care is perceived as complex and challenging by both families and healthcare professionals. This interpretative qualitative study using thematic analysis aims to explore how parents and healthcare professionals anticipate the future of the child and family in pediatric palliative care. Single and repeated interviews were undertaken with 42 parents and 35 healthcare professionals of 24 children, receiving palliative care. Anticipating the future was seen in three forms: goal-directed conversations, anticipated care, and guidance on the job. Goal-directed conversations were initiated by either parents or healthcare professionals to ensure others could align with their perspective regarding the future. Anticipated care meant healthcare professionals or parents organized practical care arrangements for future scenarios with or without informing each other. Guidance on the job was a form of short-term anticipation, whereby healthcare professionals guide parents ad hoc through difficult situations.Conclusion: Anticipating the future of the child and family is mainly focused on achievement of individual care goals of both families and healthcare professionals, practical arrangements in advance, and short-term anticipation when a child deteriorates. A more open approach early in disease trajectories exploring perspectives on the future could allow parents to anticipate more gradually and to integrate their preferences into the care of their child. What is Known: • Anticipating the future in pediatric palliative care occurs infrequently and too late. What is New: • Healthcare professionals and parents use different strategies to anticipate the future of children receiving palliative care, both intentionally and unwittingly. Strategies to anticipate the future are goal-directed conversations, anticipated care, and guidance on the job. • Parents and healthcare professionals are engaged to a limited extent in ongoing explorative conversations that support shared decision-making regarding future care and treatment.

Exploring the Experiences of Dutch Parents Caring for Children with Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities: A Thematic Analysis of Their Blogs

The current study analyzed blogs written by four Dutch parents of children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities, with the aim of deepening the understanding of the parents' concerns. Thematic analysis was conducted and five main themes were identified: Dealing with uncertainties addressed the impact of unpredictability present in the everyday lives of parents, Love and loss described the complexity of concurrently cherishing the child and grieving various types of loss, Struggling with time, energy and finances detailed imbalances and struggles related to parents' personal resources, Feeling included in communities and society specified social consequences, and Relating to professional care services reflected on stress and support associated with professional care delivery. The study findings demonstrate how care professionals should acknowledge parents' vulnerabilities by being aware of their existential distress and empowering parents to exercise control of family thriving.