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

Shared decision-making in adolescent healthcare: a literature review of ethical considerations

PURPOSE

Adolescence is a period of growing independence and maturity, within the period of legal minority. As parents or guardians are socially and legally responsible for adolescents' medical decisions, shared decision-making in adolescent healthcare could be ethically challenging. This review aims to identify and map the ethical tensions in shared decision-making in adolescent healthcare.

METHODS

We systematically searched the literature following the PRISMA guidelines to identify relevant articles, which were analyzed using the review of reasons methodology Strech and Sofaer (J Med Ethics 38(2):121-6, 2012).

RESULTS

We included 38 articles which involved adolescents, healthcare professionals and parents as being the main stakeholders. Shared decision-making was influenced not only by individual stakeholders' characteristics, but by tensions between stakeholder dyads. Most studies supported the involvement of the adolescent in decision-making, depending on their life experience, decision-making capacity and clinical condition.

CONCLUSIONS

Shared decision-making in adolescent health is receiving increasing attention. However, questions remain on what this concept entails, the roles and involvement of stakeholders and its practical implementation.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Although adolescents wish to be involved in health decisions, shared decision-making in adolescents is underexplored • Adolescent shared decision-making is different from pediatric and adult shared decision-making, and is ethically complex due to the adolescent's growing autonomy What is new: • Adolescent SDM involves three-way interactions between the adolescent, healthcare professional and parents • In adolescent shared decision-making, involving or excluding a stakeholder and sharing or withholding information are ethically value-laden steps • Research is needed to further understand the roles of adolescents' personal value systems, extended or reconstituted families and decision aids in shared decision-making.

Assessing the Revised Safer Dx Instrument® in the understanding of ambulatory system design changes for type 1 diabetes and autism spectrum disorder in pediatrics

OBJECTIVES

We sought within an ambulatory safety study to understand if the Revised Safer Dx instrument may be helpful in identification of diagnostic missed opportunities in care of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

METHODS

We reviewed two months of emergency department (ED) encounters for all patients at our tertiary care site with T1D and a sample of such encounters for patients with ASD over a 15-month period, and their pre-visit communication methods to better understand opportunities to improve diagnosis. We applied the Revised Safer Dx instrument to each diagnostic journey. We chose potentially preventable ED visits for hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, and behavioral crises, and reviewed electronic health record data over the prior three months related to the illness that resulted in the ED visit.

RESULTS

We identified 63 T1D and 27 ASD ED visits. Using the Revised Safer Dx instrument, we did not identify any potentially missed opportunities to improve diagnosis in T1D. We found two potential missed opportunities (Safer Dx overall score of 5) in ASD, related to potential for ambulatory medical management to be improved. Over this period, 40 % of T1D and 52 % of ASD patients used communication prior to the ED visit.

CONCLUSIONS

Using the Revised Safer Dx instrument, we uncommonly identified missed opportunities to improve diagnosis in patients who presented to the ED with potentially preventable complications of their chronic diseases. Future researchers should consider prospectively collected data as well as development or adaptation of tools like the Safer Dx.

Fifteen-minute consultation: Empowering children, young people and families through shared decision-making: a practical guide

Shared decision-making (SDM) is a collaborative approach to healthcare decision-making that involves patients and healthcare professionals working together to make decisions that are informed by the best available medical evidence, as well as the patient's values, preferences and goals. The importance of SDM and the intricate interplay among parents, children and young people (CYP), and healthcare professionals are increasingly acknowledged as the crucial aspects of delivering high-quality paediatric care. While there is a substantial evidence base for SDM improving knowledge and reducing decisional conflict, the evidence for long-term measures such as improved health outcomes is limited and mainly inconclusive. To support healthcare teams in implementing SDM, the authors offer a practical guide to enhance decision-making processes and empower CYP and their families.

Perspectives on the essential skills of healthcare decision making in children and adolescents with intellectual disability

BACKGROUND

Involvement in healthcare decisions is associated with better health outcomes for patients. For children and adolescents with intellectual disability, parents and healthcare professionals need to balance listening to a child's wishes with the responsibility of keeping them safe. However, there is a scarcity of literature evaluating how to effectively involve them in decision making. In this context, we review the concept of health literacy, focusing on the skills of healthcare decision making for children and adolescents with intellectual disability.

METHODS

We describe the concept of health literacy and models explaining shared decision making (individuals and healthcare professionals collaborate in decision making process) and supported decision making (when a trusted person supports the individual to collaborate with the healthcare professional in the decision-making process), and a rapid review of the literature evaluating their efficacy. We discuss healthcare decision making for children and adolescents with intellectual disability in the context of relevant recommendations from the recent Disability Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of People with Disability in Australia.

RESULTS

Health literacy skills enable individuals to access, understand, appraise, remember and use health information and services. Shared decision making has been described for children with chronic conditions and supported decision making for adults with intellectual disability. Decision-making contributes to how individuals appraise and use healthcare. The rapid review found very limited evidence of outcomes where children and adolescents with intellectual disability have been supported to contribute to their healthcare decisions. Recommendations from the Disability Royal Commission highlight current needs for greater efforts to support and build the capacity of individuals with disability to be involved in the decisions that affect their life, including healthcare decision making.

CONCLUSIONS

Existing rights frameworks and healthcare standards confirm the importance of providing all people with the opportunities to learn and practise health literacy skills including decision making. There is little literature examining interventions for healthcare decision making for children with intellectual disability. Childhood is a critical time for the development of skills and autonomy. Evidence for how children and adolescents with intellectual disability can learn and practice healthcare decision-making skills in preparation for adulthood is needed to reduce inequities in their autonomy.

Factors that support children and young people to express their views and to have them heard in healthcare: An inductive qualitative content analysis

Despite development of healthcare charters supporting Article 12 of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children and young people remain largely silenced in discussions about their healthcare. This article is based on the premise that children and young people should be able to exercise their right to express their views and be heard in all matters that affect their lives. This study examined children's and young people's experiences of expressing their views and having them heard in an Australian healthcare context. Using child-centred inquiry and 'draw, write, and tell' methods, data were collected from 20 children and young people. Five factors that supported children and young people to express their views and have their views heard were identified: time, relationships with health professionals, communication, teamwork, and family support. By paying attention to these factors, clinicians and others in health settings can better facilitate child-centred practices and support children and young people to express their views and have those views heard.

Halitosis in young patients with chronic kidney disease: findings from a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) directly affects oral health. Yet data about halitosis in young CKD patients and the impact of dental prophylaxis is limited. Therefore, as part of this randomized clinical trial, halitosis in young CKD patients undergoing intensive or standard oral preventive procedures was to be explored.

METHODS

Three volatile sulfur compounds (hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide) were measured in 30 young patients with CKD (mean age 14.2 years; 16 males, 14 females). Breath samples were taken after 3 and 6 months and analyzed with selective gas chromatography (OralChroma). Tongue coating (Winkel Index) and clinical indices to determine local inflammation or oral hygiene (Papillary Bleeding Index and Quigley-Hein Index) were assessed. Within an extended anamnesis, patients and their mothers and nurses were questioned about the perceived halitosis. Corresponding quotes were noted verbatim. Patients were randomized to either intensive need-related oral health care measures (oral preventative program, OPP) or a one-stage standard prevention (treatment as usual, TAU).

RESULTS

While there were no differences in volatile sulfur compound levels between TAU and OPP at the three time points of measurements (p > 0.05), there was a tendency towards a reduction in dimethyl sulfide and hydrogen sulfide of affected patients within the OPP group over time. Looking at potential differences between both groups with regard to tongue coating, significant differences were observed between baseline and 3 months after study start in the OPP group, and between baseline and 6 months after study start in the TAU group (p < 0.05). The burden of halitosis was frequently reported by patients' mothers and nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

Young CKD patients regularly suffered from halitosis and dimethyl sulfide was its main source. Preventive measures mainly resulted in a reduction of tongue coating.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The German Clinical Trial Register (# DRKS00010580).

Stakeholders' Views on Information Needed in a Patient Decision Aid for Microtia Reconstruction

OBJECTIVE

To assess which information about microtia and the possible reconstructive options health care providers (HCPs), patients and parents believe should be included in a patient decision aid (PtDA).

DESIGN

A mixed-methods study comprised of an online survey of HCPs and focus group discussions with patients and parents.

PARTICIPANTS

Survey respondents were members of the International Society for Auricular Reconstruction (ISAR). Focus group participants were patients with microtia and their parents, recruited through the microtia outpatient clinic at Amsterdam UMC, and through a Dutch patient organization for cleft and craniofacial conditions.

METHODS

An online, investigator-made survey was sent to ISAR members in December 2021. Semi-structured focus group discussions were held in February 2022. Quantitative results were summarized, and qualitative results were thematically grouped.

RESULTS

Thirty-two HCPs responded to the survey (response rate 41%). Most respondents (n = 24) were plastic surgeons, who had a median of 15 years of experience (IQR: 7-23 years). Two focus groups were held with a total of five patients and two parents. HCPs, patients and parents generally agreed on the information needed in a PtDA, emphasizing the importance of realistic expectation management. Patients and parents also considered psychosocial and functional outcomes, patient experiences, as well as patients' involvement in decision-making important.

CONCLUSIONS

A PtDA for microtia reconstruction should target all patients with microtia, and include information on at least technique-related information, expected esthetic results, possible adverse effects, psychosocial and functional outcomes and patient experiences. Preference eliciting questions should be developed for both pediatric patients and their parents.

Gillick competence: an inadequate guide to the ethics of involving adolescents in decision-making

Developmentally, adolescence sits in transition between childhood and adulthood. Involving adolescents in their medical decision-making prompts important and complex ethical questions. Originating in the UK, the concept of Gillick competence is a dominant framework for navigating adolescent medical decision-making from legal, ethical and clinical perspectives and is commonly treated as comprehensive. In this paper, we argue that its utility is far more limited, and hence over-reliance on Gillick risks undermining rather than promoting ethically appropriate adolescent involvement. We demonstrate that Gillick only provides guidance in the limited range of cases where legal decisional authority needs to be clarified. The range of cases where use of Gillick actually promotes adolescent involvement is narrower still, because several features must be present for Gillick to be enacted. Each of these features can, and do, act as barriers to adolescent involvement. Within these limited situations, we argue that Gillick is not specific or strong enough and is reliant on ethically contestable principles. Moreover, in most situations in adolescent healthcare, Gillick is silent on the ethical questions around involving adolescents. This is because it focuses on decisional authority-having the final say in decision-making-which is one small subset of the many ways adolescents could be involved in decision-making. The implication of our analysis is that use of Gillick competence tends to limit or undermine adolescent involvement opportunities. We propose that those working with adolescents should be judicious in seeking Gillick's guidance, instead drawing on and developing alternative frameworks that provide a comprehensive model for adolescent involvement.

The Concept of Child-Centred Care in Healthcare: A Scoping Review

Although child-centred care is increasingly referred to within the nursing literature, a clear definition of child-centred care and clarity around the concept is yet to be achieved. The objectives of this review were to examine the following: (1) What constitutes the concept of child-centred care in healthcare? (2) How has the concept of child-centred care developed? (3) What is the applicability of child-centred care and what are its limitations? (4) How does the concept of child-centred care benefit and inform children's healthcare? In total, 2984 papers were imported for screening, and, following the removal of duplicates and screening, 21 papers were included in the scoping review. The findings suggest that child-centred care is an emerging, ambiguous poorly defined concept; no clear consensus exists about what constitutes child-centred care. Although it seems antithetical to argue against child-centred care, little robust evidence was identified that demonstrates the impact and benefit of child-centred care. If child-centred care is to be a sustainable, convincing model to guide practice and compete with other models of care, it needs to establish robust evidence of its effectiveness, the impact on children and their families, as well as the wider impacts on the healthcare system.

Shared decision-making between paediatric haematologists, children with sickle cell disease and their parents: an exploratory study

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) face various healthcare choices to be made during the disease process that may impact their lives. Shared decision-making (SDM) could improve their health outcomes. We assessed if, and to what extent, paediatricians engage children with SCD and/or their parents in the decision-making process. In this observational cross-sectional study, paediatric SCD patients and their parents visiting the outpatient paediatrics clinic of a university hospital participated in a SDM baseline measurement. Two evaluators independently and objectively analysed the level of patient involvement in decision-making from the audio-recordings of the consultations using the OPTION-5 instrument, a 0-20-point scale from which scores are usually expressed as a percentage of ideal SDM. The level of SDM, as perceived by patients, parents and paediatricians, was appreciated using the SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc questionnaires, respectively. Scores could range from 0% (no SDM) to 100% (exemplary SDM). Twenty-four consultations in which a decision needed to be made about SCD treatment were audiotaped and analysed; six were from each paediatrician. The group consisted of 17 male and 7 female patients from various cultural backgrounds between 2 and 17 years old, with a mean age of 9.4 years (SD 4.2). Median OPTION-5 scores were 25.0% [IQR] 20.0-40.0%; range 0-55%). Median SDM-Q-9 and SDM-Q-Doc scores were 56.7% (IQR 39.4-88.9%) and 68.9% (IQR 57.8-77.8%), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Although subjective scores of SDM were fair, the objectively scored level of SDM among children suffering from SCD leaves room for improvement. This may be realized by increasing knowledge about the benefits of SDM, child-centred SDM interventions and SDM-training for paediatricians that takes into account the complexity of intercultural challenges and risk communication between stakeholders.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Children that suffer from sickle cell disease (SCD) are more vulnerable to factors that negatively impact the care that they receive as well as suboptimal health outcomes. • Shared decision-making (SDM) can help children participate in a collaborative decision-making process about their preferred treatment options and improve their health outcomes.

WHAT IS NEW

• The level of participation in the decision-making process for patients suffering from SCD and the families that they belong to leaves room for improvement. The impact of intercultural challenges and the quality and consistency of risk-communication between stakeholders in paediatric SDM needs further exploration. • Paediatricians are more confident about their ability to involve the child and parents compared to how children and their parents experience their level of involvement in a shared decision-making process.

Analysis of factors that promote the participation of patients with chronic diseases in shared decision making on medication: a cross-sectional survey in Hubei Province, China

BACKGROUND

Shared decision making (SDM) improves the health status of patients with chronic diseases, especially in the condition of poly-medicated patients. This study aims to find the factors associated with participation of patients with chronic diseases in SDM on medication.

METHODS

A total of 1,196 patients with chronic diseases were selected in Hubei Province of China using cluster sampling methods. The random forest method was applied to rank the importance of independent variables by Mean Decrease Gini and out-of- bag (OOB) curve. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the independent variables' effect direction and relative hazard.

RESULTS

In this study, 5.18% of patients used patient-directed decision making (PDM, a decision-making model led by patients), 37.79% of patients used SDM (a collaborative decision-making model by patients and doctors), and 57.02% of patients used doctor-directed decision making (DDM, or paternalistic decision making, a decision-making model led by doctors). The random forest analysis demonstrated that the top 5 important factors were age, education, exercise, disease course, and medication knowledge. The OOB curve showed that the error rate reached minimum when top 5 variables in importance ranking composed an optimal variable combination. In multivariate logistic regression, we chose SDM as a reference group, and identified medication knowledge (OR = 2.737, 95%CI = 1.524 ~ 4.916) as the influencing factor between PDM and SDM. Meanwhile, the influencing factors between DDM and SDM were age (OR = 0.636, 95%CI = 0.439 ~ 0.921), education (OR = 1.536, 95%CI = 1.122 ~ 2.103), exercise (OR = 1.443, 95%CI = 1.109 ~ 1.877), disease course (OR = 0.750, 95%CI = 0.584 ~ 0.964), and medication knowledge (OR = 1.446, 95%CI = 1.120 ~ 1.867).

CONCLUSION

Most Chinese patients with chronic diseases used DDM during their medication decision-making, and some patients used PDM and SDM. The participation in SDM should be taken seriously among elderly patients with lower education levels. The SDM promotion should focus on transformation of patients' traditional perception and enhance their medication knowledge.

Medicine education in a pediatric oncology setting: What can we do better?

Background

When patients feel more involved in their care, there tends to be a higher rate of adherence and improved health outcomes. This can be more difficult to achieve in pediatric care since children have varying levels of medicine comprehension and parents are an integral component of the child's learning.

Objectives

This study aimed to determine the satisfaction of children and families being treated for cancer with their medicine education and determine areas for improvement.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted over six months (2016/2017) with families and children with cancer, ages 7 to 19 years, (n = 6) and healthcare providers (n = 9) to assess the current method of medicine education delivery.

Results

Families reported increased stress and anxiety levels at the time of diagnosis, negatively impacting their information retention. Patients, families, and healthcare providers reported inconsistent education delivery, including varying amounts of information throughout the treatment and inconsistencies between providers, such as medication names. Parents mentioned a desire for a more consistent and standardized delivery of medicine education, which was found to be helped by a pharmacist-led approach. Receiving supplemental written materials to support verbal education helped with learners' understanding and information retention. Ensuring that the parents are comfortable and familiar with the medicines is a significant component of medicine teaching in pediatric care because they are often responsible for the child's medications and their children see them as a trusted source of information. Ensuring parents' needs are met translates to improved medicine adherence for children with cancer.

Conclusion

Medicine education should occur sometime post-diagnosis once the patient/family has had time to adjust and the anxiety lessens. Medicine education should be given as consistently as possible by a recurring member of the care team, ideally the pharmacist. The learners' ability to understand and retain information should be individually assessed to determine the delivery of medicine education. Motivating and empowering learners, including children, through frequent medicine encounters could help improve adherence, patient health outcomes, and quality of life and make them more self-managing throughout life.

Children's understanding and consent to heart surgery: Multidisciplinary teamwork and moral experiences

Mainstream law and ethics literature on consent to children's surgery contrasts with moral experiences of children and adults observed in two heart surgery centres. Research interviews were conducted with 45 practitioners and related experts, and with 16 families of children aged 6 to 15, admitted for non-urgent surgery, as well as an online survey. Thematic data analysis was informed by critical realism and childhood studies.Impersonal adult-centric mainstream literature assumes young children cannot consent. It is based on dichotomies: adult/child, competent/incompetent, respect or protect children, inform or distract them, use time swiftly or flexibly, verbal/non-verbal communication, respect or control children and reason/emotion.Through their moral experiences, adults and children resolve these seeming dichotomies. Through understanding young children's reasoning and emotions about complex distressing decisions related to heart surgery, adults share knowledge, control, trust and respect with them. They see children's consent or refusal before non-urgent surgery as a shared personal moral experience within the child's life course, beyond mere legal compliance. Adults help children to understand and 'want' the surgery that offers things they value: better health or to 'be more like their friends'. If children are not convinced, sometimes surgery is postponed or occasionally cancelled.

Assessing the Respect of Children's Rights in Pediatric Hospitals

Background and Objectives: In 1989, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), with a considerable number of the Articles of the Convention being related to the health status of children. Therefore, adhering to and assessing the implementation of the rights of children during hospitalization is a very important step towards child protection. Herein, we attempt to highlight the depth of knowledge of employees working in children's hospitals with regard to children's rights as well as the degree of adherence to the UNCRC with respect to hospitalized children. Material and Methods: The target group included all healthcare professionals working in the various general pediatric clinics of the three Children's Hospitals of the Athens metropolitan area in Greece. We conducted a cross-sectional study, with data collection carried out in February and March 2020, using a structured questionnaire consisting of 46 questions which was handed out to all personnel. For the analysis, we used the IBM SPSS 21.0. Results: A total of 251 individuals participated in the study (physicians 20%, nurses 72%, and other employees 8%). A total of 54.5% of health professionals did not know what the UNCRC is, and 59.6% of them were not even aware that their hospital had rules and a bioethical committee related to clinical research involving children. Lack of awareness or trust of health professionals is also observed for other procedures or supervisory measures such as abuse protocols, complaint control, admission control, etc. With regard to the health system, there are shortcomings or weaknesses in (a) procedures followed with regard to respect for gender and privacy, (b) information on basic services provided by pediatric hospitals (such as recreation, education and free meals during hospitalization), (c) the logistical infrastructure (such as recreational facilities and facilities for the disabled), (d) the possibility of recording complaints, and (e) hospitalizations that were not necessary. A difference emerged concerning the nurses' responses between the three hospitals, with nurses participating in relevant seminars held in one of the hospitals being significantly more informed. Conclusions: The majority of healthcare personnel seem unaware of basic principles with respect to children's rights during hospitalization as well as relevant procedures and supervisory measures. Moreover, obvious weaknesses of the health system exist with respect to procedures, services, infrastructure, and complaint recording. There is a need for improved education of health professionals with respect to the implementation of children's rights in pediatric hospitals.

How do we best engage young people in decision-making about their health? A scoping review of deliberative priority setting methods

INTRODUCTION

International organisations have called to increase young people's involvement in healthcare and health policy development. We currently lack effective methods for facilitating meaningful engagement by young people in health-related decision-making. The purpose of this scoping review is to identify deliberative priority setting methods and explore the effectiveness of these in engaging young people in healthcare and health policy decision-making.

METHODS

Seven databases were searched systematically, using MeSH and free text terms, for articles published in English before July 2021 that described the use of deliberative priority setting methods for health decision-making with young people. All titles, abstracts and full-text papers were screened by a team of six independent reviewers between them. Data extraction followed the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guidelines. The results are presented as a narrative synthesis, structured around four components for evaluating deliberative processes: 1) representation and inclusion of diverse participants, 2) the way the process is run including levels and timing of participant engagement, 3) the quality of the information provided to participants and 4) resulting outcomes and decisions.

FINDINGS

The search yielded 9 reviews and 21 studies. The more engaging deliberative priority setting tools involved young people-led committees, mixed methods for identifying and prioritising issues and digital data collection and communication tools. Long-term and frequent contact with young people to build trust underpinned the success of some of the tools, as did offering incentives for taking part and skills development using creative methods. The review also suggests that successful priority setting processes with young people involve consideration of power dynamics, since young people's decisions are likely to be made together with family members, health professionals and academics.

DISCUSSION

Young people's engagement in decision-making about their health is best achieved through investing time in building strong relationships and ensuring young people are appropriately rewarded for their time and contribution. If young people are to be instrumental in improving their health and architects of their own futures, decision-making processes need to respect young people's autonomy and agency. Our review suggests that methods of power-sharing with young people do exist but that they have yet to be adopted by organisations and global institutions setting global health policy.

Implementing Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in health care: a scoping review

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a scoping review on the implementation of Article12 in health care. The scoping review will provide a summary and overview of the key concepts and published literature on this topic internationally. Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) states that children have a right to express their views, to have them heard and for their views to be given due weight in all matters that affect them. Despite increased calls for Article 12 to be given attention in health care, there is little evidence to suggest this has been well implemented and embedded in Australian health-care delivery. The scoping review was undertaken to provide a summary and overview of the key concepts and published literature on this topic internationally.

Design/methodology/approach

A five-step methodological framework described by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) was used to undertake the scoping review. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis was used as a guideline for undertaking the study selection.

Findings

Children are still not routinely involved in health-care decision-making, are frequently left out of service planning and evaluation and the perception that they lack the capability to make rational decisions persists.

Originality/value

While there has been a focus on research that investigates children’s participation in health-care decision-making in recent years, there is little that directs attention specifically to the implementation of Article 12, particularly in Australian health care. Recommendations are made for further research in these areas.

Pilot trial of iBDecide: Evaluating an online tool to facilitate shared decision making for adolescents and young adults with ulcerative colitis

INTRODUCTION

This pilot, randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the usability, among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with ulcerative colitis (UC), of a web-based tool ('iBDecide') designed to facilitate shared decision making (SDM).

METHODS

AYAs with UC (n = 35) were randomized to intervention (iBDecide, n = 14) and control (n = 12) arms before a scheduled clinic visit. We measured the usability of iBDecide, SDM, preferred decision-making style, decision conflict and intervention use.

RESULTS

Participants in the intervention group found iBDecide easy to use and agreed that it made them feel ready to participate in decision making and that they would use it to prepare for appointments. There were 130 visits to iBDecide, lasting on average 3 min, 41 s. The medication and nutrition trackers were among the most-viewed pages. Pages specifically designed to facilitate SDM were viewed only four times. Across groups, too few participants reported making decisions during clinic visits for decision-related measures to be reported.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot trial provides evidence for the usability of iBDecide and guidance for developing a larger-scale trial of a combined web-based and in-clinic SDM intervention. Overall, iBDecide shows promise in engaging AYAs with UC in SDM and condition management.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Patients, specifically AYAs with UC, and healthcare providers were involved in the design of this study's intervention, iBDecide. Additionally, the research team, from study conception to manuscript writing, included a young adult with inflammatory bowel disease.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04207008).

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.

Development and validation of the Distracting Ingenuity Promotion Scale for paediatric nurses to support the psychological outcomes of paediatric patients and their families: A survey-based cross-sectional cohort study

Aim

To develop and validate the Distracting Ingenuity Promotion Scale (DIPS) for paediatric nurses.

Design

Cross‐sectional study using anonymized self‐administered questionnaires.

Methods

From July–November 2013, paediatric nurses working in the wards or outpatient departments in 39 medical institutions in Japan were enrolled in the survey. Data were analysed using the Student's t‐test, Mann–Whitney U test and analysis of variance test. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to validate the factors in the DIPS. Cronbach's α was used to calculate the reliability of the DIPS.

Results

The DIPS included five subscales comprising 21 items. The goodness‐of‐fit indices for confirmatory factor analysis had a Comparative Fit Index of 0.923 and a Root Mean Square Error of Approximation of 0.059 and fulfilled the standard external validity criteria. Cronbach's α was 0.707–0.826 for each subscale and 0.895 for the overall scale.

Achieving child-centred care for children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions-a qualitative interview study

This study aims to identify the symptoms, concerns, and care priorities of children with life-limiting conditions and their families. A semi-structured qualitative interview study was conducted, seeking perspectives from multiple stakeholders on symptoms, other concerns, and care priorities of children and young people with life limiting and life-threatening conditions and their families. Participants were recruited from six hospitals and three children's hospices in the UK. Verbatim transcripts were analysed using framework analysis. A total of 106 participants were recruited: 26 children (5-17 years), 40 parents (of children 0-17 years), 13 siblings (5-17 years), 15 health and social care professionals, 12 commissioners. Participants described many inter-related symptoms, concerns, and care priorities impacting on all aspects of life. Burdensome symptoms included pain and seizures. Participants spoke of the emotional and social impacts of living with life-limiting conditions, such as being able to see friends, and accessing education and psychological support. Spiritual/existential concerns included the meaning of illness and planning for an uncertain future. Data revealed an overarching theme of pursuing 'normality', described as children's desire to undertake usual childhood activities. Parents need support with practical aspects of care to help realise this desire for normality.

CONCLUSION

Children with life-limiting conditions and their families experience a wide range of inter-related symptoms, concerns, and care priorities. A holistic, child-centred approach to care is needed, allowing focus on pursuit of normal childhood activities. Improvements in accessibility, co-ordination, and availability of health services are required to achieve this.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Existing evidence regarding symptoms, concerns, and care priorities for children with life-limiting conditions is largely limited to proxy-reported data and those with a cancer diagnosis. • Child-centred care provision must be directed by children's perspectives on their priorities for care.

WHAT IS NEW

• Social and educational activities are more important to children with life-limiting conditions than their medical concerns. • A holistic approach to care is required that extends beyond addressing medical needs, in order to support children with life-limiting conditions to focus on pursuit of normal childhood activities.

Getting to Hope: Perspectives from Patients and Caregivers Living with Chronic Childhood Illness

Promoting hope was identified in our prior work as the top priority research question among patients and caregivers with diverse childhood-onset chronic conditions. Here, we aimed to construct a conceptual model to guide future research studies of interventions to improve hope. We conducted eight monthly virtual focus groups and one virtual workshop with patients, caregivers, and researchers to explore key constructs to inform the model. Discussions were facilitated by Patient Co-Investigators. Participants developed a definition of hope and identified promotors and inhibitors that influence the experience of hope. We utilized qualitative methods to analyze findings and organize the promotors and inhibitors of hope within three strata of the socio-ecologic framework: structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Participants identified three types of interventions to promote hope: resources, navigation, and activities to promote social connection. The hope conceptual model can be used to inform the selection of interventions to assess in future research studies aimed at improving hope and the specification of outcome measures to include in hope research studies. Inclusion of the health care system in the model provides direction for identifying strategies for improving the system and places responsibility on the system to do better to promote hope among young patients with chronic illness and their caregivers.

Shared Decision-Making and Children With Disabilities: Pathways to Consensus

Shared decision-making (SDM) promotes family and clinician collaboration, with ultimate goals of improved health and satisfaction. This clinical report provides a basis for a systematic approach to the implementation of SDM by clinicians for children with disabilities. Often in the discussion of treatment plans, there are gaps between the child's/family's values, priorities, and understanding of perceived "best choices" and those of the clinician. When conducted well, SDM affords an appropriate balance incorporating voices of all stakeholders, ultimately supporting both the child/family and clinician. With increasing knowledge of and functional use of SDM skills, the clinician will become an effective partner in the decision-making process with families, providing family-centered care. The outcome of the process will support the beneficence of the physician, the authority of the family, and the autonomy and well-being of the child.