"Let's Bring Her Home First." Patient Characteristics and Place of Death in Specialized Pediatric Palliative Home Care

Clinical and socio-demographic profile of children receiving pediatric palliative care in a tertiary hospital of a metropolitan city in India

Pediatric palliative care is a holistic care of children suffering from life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses and encompasses care of a child's body, mind, and spirit and involves giving support to the family. According to the Global Atlas of Palliative Care, 6% of the global need for palliative care is in children. In order to provide palliative care, one needs to identify and diagnose the conditions requiring palliative care. There has always been a confusion in identifying pediatric conditions requiring palliative care. There is a lot of inconsistency in the diagnosis of such conditions particularly in pre-verbal patients. This study attempts to generate more data about the common palliative care conditions and complaints with which the children present to tertiary care hospitals. To study the socio-demographic details, clinical profile, CCC (complex chronic conditions) designation, and the ACT/ RCPCH (Association for Children with Life-threatening or Terminal Conditions and the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health) classification of children suffering from chronic conditions requiring palliative care. The study was conducted as a single-center retrospective observational study of pediatric patients enrolled for palliative care at a tertiary care hospital in a metropolitan city in India from 01.06.2021 to 31.06.2022. The total sample size was 400. The socio-demographic data and the clinical profile were recorded from the case records of all the 400 patients. Classification of the conditions was done as per the CCC as well as the ACT/ RCPCH classification system. The mean age in our study was 5.15 years and there was a slighter male (59.5%) preponderance. They presented in OPDs with acute symptoms such as fatigue and fever, and they had other symptoms like tightness of the body, constipation, seizures, and difficulty in swallowing. Majority of the children (55%) were suffering from neurologic and neuromuscular conditions as per CCC followed by hematologic and immunologic conditions (10%). Category 4 (irreversible but non-progressive conditions causing severe disability, leading to susceptibility to health) was reported as the most common category according to the ACT/RCPCH.    Conclusion: Children suffering from chronic disease conditions requiring palliative care usually suffer from multiple symptoms which affect their daily life. As most of the patients belong to category 4 according to ACT/RCPCH which is an irreversible but non-progressive life-limiting condition, the course of the disease is prolonged, therefore requiring comprehensive care and services for a long time. It is necessary to establish more pediatric palliative care units to address the needs of such children. What is known: • Pediatric palliative care is a specialized area within palliative care, which focusses on the needs of children with life-limiting illnesses. • Data on pediatric palliative care has largely been limited to oncological conditions. There is a paucity of literature documenting the needs among children suffering from non-cancerous chronic conditions. What is new: • This study provides vital information with respect to palliative care burden among children mainly suffering from non-oncological conditions. • It also provides clinical and socio-demographic profile of the children suffering from chronic life-limiting conditions requiring palliative care in a tertiary hospital setting in a LMIC (low- or middle-income country).

Places of Farewell: A Scoping Review Exploring Factors Influencing the Choice of Place of Death for Children when Death is Expected

Progression of ill health and death trajectories is different for children with a non-oncology diagnosis. As previous research has focused primarily on children with cancer diagnoses, this scoping review explored what factors influence the parent and/or child's choice of place of death for a child with a non-oncological complex care condition, when death is expected. Eighteen papers were identified considering the preferred place of death. The findings were themed into 1. Diagnostic Factors; 2. Home Factors; 3. Socio-economic Factors; 4. Parent Factors. In conclusion, informed discussions with families that recognize the reason for, and the impact of their choices, are necessary not only for the preferred place of death but also end of life care.

Hospital, hospice, or home: A scoping review of the importance of place in pediatric palliative care

BACKGROUND

Palliative care necessitates questions about the preferred place for delivering care and location of death. Place is integral to palliative care, as it can impact proximity to family, available resources/support, and patient comfort. Despite the importance of place, there is remarkably little literature exploring its role in pediatric palliative care (PPC).

OBJECTIVES

To understand the importance and meaning of place in PPC.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review to understand the importance of place in PPC. Five databases were searched using keywords related to "pediatric," "palliative," and "place." Two reviewers screened results, extracted data, and analyzed emergent themes pertaining to place.

RESULTS

From 3076 search results, we identified and reviewed 25 articles. The literature highlights hospital, home, and hospice as 3 distinct PPC places. Children and their families have place preferences for PPC and place of death, and a growing number prefer death to occur at home. Results also indicate numerous factors influence place preferences (e.g., comfort, grief, cultural/spiritual practices, and socioeconomic status).

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Place influences families' PPC decisions and experiences and thus warrants further study. Greater understanding of the importance and roles of place in PPC could enhance PPC policy and practice, as well as PPC environments.

End of life in patients attended by pediatric palliative care teams: what factors influence the place of death and compliance with family preferences?

Each year, more than 8 million children worldwide require specialized palliative care, yet there is little evidence available in pediatrics on the characteristics of the end of life in this context. Our aim is to analyze the characteristics of patients who die in the care of specific pediatric palliative care teams. This is ambispective, analytical observational, multicenter study conducted between 1 January and 31 December 2019. Fourteen specific pediatric palliative care teams participated. There are 164 patients, most of them suffering from oncologic, neurologic, and neuromuscular processes. The follow-up time was 2.4 months. The parents voiced preferences in respect of the place of death for 125 of the patients (76.2%). The place of death for 95 patients (57.9%) was at the hospital and 67 (40.9%) was at home. The existence of a palliative care team for over 5 years is more likely to be related to families voicing preferences and their fulfillment. Longer follow-up times by pediatric palliative care teams were observed in families with whom preferences regarding the place of death were discussed and in patients who died at home. Patients who did not receive home visits, when the pediatric palliative care team did not provide full care and when preferences regarding the place of death were not discussed with parents, were more likely to die in the hospital.   Conclusions: Advance planning of end-of-life care is one of the most important aspects of pediatric palliative care. The provision of services by the teams and the follow-up time are related to parents' expressed preferences and the place of death. What is Known: • Various studies have shown how the availability of pediatric palliative care services improves the quality of life of patients and their families while reducing costs. • The place of death is an important factor influencing the quality of end-of-life care for dying people. The increase in palliative care teams increases the number of deaths in the home and having this care available 24/7 increases the probability of dying at home. What is New: • Our study identifies how a longer follow-up time of patients by palliative care teams is significantly associated with death at home and with express and comply with the preferences expressed by families. • Home visits by the palliative care team increase the likelihood that the patient will die at her home and that the preferences expressed by the palliative care team families will be cared for.

"More life and more days"-patient and care characteristics in a specialized acute pediatric palliative care inpatient unit

Only a few acute hospital inpatient units dedicated to pediatric palliative care (PPC) patients exist today. Clinical data on the patients and care provided at specialized acute PPC inpatient units (PPCUs) are scarce. This study aims at describing patient and care characteristics on our PPCU to learn about the complexity and relevance of inpatient PPC. A retrospective chart analysis was performed on the 8-bed PPCU of the Center for Pediatric Palliative Care of the Munich University Hospital, including demographic, clinical, and treatment characteristics (487 consecutive cases; 201 individual patients; 2016-2020). Data were analyzed descriptively; the chi-square test was used for comparisons. Patients' age (1-35.5 years, median: 4.8 years) and length of stay (1-186 days, median 11 days) varied widely. Thirty-eight percent of patients were admitted repeatedly (range 2-20 times). Most patients suffered from neurological diseases (38%) or congenital abnormalities (34%); oncological diseases were rare (7%). Patients' predominant acute symptoms were dyspnea (61%), pain (54%), and gastrointestinal symptoms (46%). Twenty percent of patients suffered from > 6 acute symptoms, 30% had respiratory support incl. invasive ventilation, 71% had a feeding tube, and 40% had full resuscitation code. In 78% of cases, patients were discharged home; 11% died on the unit.

CONCLUSION

This study shows the heterogeneity, high symptom burden, and medical complexity of the patients on the PPCU. The high dependency on life-sustaining medical technology points to the parallelism of life-prolonging and palliative treatments that is typical for PPC. Specialized PPCUs need to offer care at the intermediate care level in order to respond to the needs of patients and families.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Pediatric patients in outpatient PPC or hospices present with a variety of clinical syndromes and different levels of complexity and care intensity. • There are many children with life-limiting conditions (LLC) in hospitals, but specialized PPC hospital units for these patients are rare and poorly described.

WHAT IS NEW

• Patients on a specialized PPC hospital unit show a high symptom burden and a high level of medical complexity, including dependency on medical technology and frequent full resuscitation code. • The PPC unit is mainly a place for pain and symptom management as well as crisis intervention, and needs to be able to offer treatment at the intermediate care level.

Desires vs. conditions: A qualitative study exploring the factors affecting the place of death of child with cancer in Turkey

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to describe factors affecting the place of death of children with cancer at the end of life.

METHODS

The descriptive phenomenological approach was used. Eighteen mothers who lost their children to cancer participated in in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using MAXQDA software version. Codes and categories were developed inductively from participants' narratives.

RESULTS

The factors affecting the place of death of children were categorised into two main themes: (1) desires and (2) conditions. Most of the mothers reported that their deceased children wanted to be with their families at the end of life and they wanted to go home. The conditions related to health services were defined as the barriers to the death of their children in the places of death preferred by the mothers.

CONCLUSION

The desire to be close to the child was the main factor affecting the parents' decisions. The findings revealed the prevailing circumstances in the death place decision beyond parental desires. These were the child's health conditions, physical conditions of hospitals, and the lack of home care and paediatric palliative care services, which were factors related to the system, and the lack of other options for parents.

"If We Build It, Will They Come?" A Cohort Study of Family Utilization of a Pediatric-Specific Hospice Home

Objective: To determine whether families would make use of a pediatric-specific inpatient hospice facility for end-of-life care for children. Background: Location of end-of-life care and death are important considerations when treating children with life-limiting conditions. There is very limited research on utilization of an inpatient hospice facility for end-of-life care if a pediatric-specific facility is available. We examined changes in family utilization of inpatient hospice services with the availability of an inpatient pediatric hospice facility (PHF). Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study with data collected on location of end-of-life care and death five years prior to and five years following the opening of a PHF that receives referrals from a large children s hospital in United States. Two data sources from the hospice organization were used: (1) a dataset on origins and outcomes of referrals to pediatric inpatient hospice care and (2) a dataset on location of death for all pediatric patients who had any contact with the hospice system. Chi-square analyses were conducted to assess the associations between the PHF opening and referral outcomes and location of death. Results: Significant results were found with respect to both referral outcomes and location of death. Engagement in inpatient hospice care increased between 2- and 10-fold following the opening of the inpatient PHF. The percent of patients who died in an inpatient hospice unit also increased significantly with the opening of the pediatric facility. Discussion: Results of this study show that providers are more likely to refer, and families are more likely to use inpatient hospice services when pediatric facilities are available. These results are important for establishing an evidence base in support for increasing access to PHFs.

Evaluation of an Electronic Medical Record Module for Nursing Documentation in Paediatric Palliative Care: Involvement of Nurses with a Think-Aloud Approach

BACKGROUND

Paediatric palliative care (PPC) is a noncurative approach to the care of children and adolescents with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses. Electronic medical records (EMRs) play an important role in documenting such complex processes. Despite their benefits, they can introduce unintended consequences if future users are not involved in their development.

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptance of a novel module for nursing documentation by nurses working in the context of PPC.

METHODS

An observational study employing concurrent think-aloud and semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 11 nurses working in PPC. Based on the main determinants of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

The main determinants of UTAUT were found to potentially influence acceptance of the novel module. Participants perceived the module to be self-explanatory and intuitive. Some adaptations, such as the reduction of fragmentation in the display, the optimization of confusing mouseover fields, and the use of familiar nursing terminology, are reasonable ways of increasing software adoption.

CONCLUSIONS

After adaptation of the modules based on the results, further evaluation with the participation of future users is required.

Impact of Home-Based Pediatric Palliative Care on Hospital and Emergency Department Utilization at a Single Institution

Background: There is limited data on home-based pediatric palliative care (PPC) demographics and utilization outcomes. Objective: Describe who receives home-based PPC and compare emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and hospital days admitted in the one year before and after initiation of home-based PPC. Design: Exploratory retrospective medical chart review. Settings/Subjects: Patients, from birth to their 21st birthday, who received home-based PPC during January 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016 at a single site. Measurements: Demographics and hospital utilization were extracted from the medical chart. Results: N = 154. Comparing one year before and after initiation of home-based PPC, the median number of hospitalizations decreased from 2 to 1 (p < 0.001), and the median total number of hospital days admitted decreased from 16 to 4 days (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Children enrolled in a home-based PPC program experienced a significant decrease in the number of hospital admissions and hospital days admitted.

[Specialized outpatient palliative care for children, adolescents, and their families-the special needs of the target group. Results of the ELSAH study]

Hintergrund und Ziel

Lebenslimitierend erkrankte Kinder und Jugendliche mit komplexem Symptomgeschehen haben Anspruch auf eine spezialisierte ambulante Palliativversorgung (SAPV). In der Richtlinie zur SAPV heißt es lediglich: „Den besonderen Belangen von Kindern und Jugendlichen ist Rechnung zu tragen.“ Das Ziel der Studie ist es deshalb, diese besonderen Belange zu identifizieren und Empfehlungen zur Überarbeitung der SAPV-Richtlinie zu formulieren.

Methoden

Sequenzielles Mixed-Methods-Design mit Fragebogenerhebungen, qualitativen Interviews, teilnehmenden Beobachtungen und Fokusgruppendiskussionen mit Angehörigen, Patient*innen und Leistungserbringer*innen der SAPV in Hessen sowie der Auswertung von Dokumentationsdaten der hessischen SAPV-Teams.

Ergebnisse

Kinder und Jugendliche in der SAPV leiden an komplexen, oftmals seltenen Erkrankungen und bedürfen einer besonders aufwendigen Palliativversorgung durch ein Team mit pädiatrischer Expertise. Die SAPV muss die gesamte Familie einbeziehen und oftmals überregional verteilte Versorger*innen koordinieren. Zudem ist eine besonders aufwendige psychosoziale Versorgung von Patient*innen und Angehörigen notwendig. Die SAPV für Kinder und Jugendliche ist weniger bekannt als die SAPV für Erwachsene und der Zugang für die Familien deshalb oft schwierig. Für lebenslimitierend erkrankte Kinder und Jugendliche, die zwar einer aufsuchenden Palliativversorgung bedürfen, jedoch keinen Bedarf an einer so intensiven Betreuung wie in der SAPV haben, besteht eine Versorgungslücke.

Fazit

Die SAPV von Kindern und Jugendlichen sowie von volljährigen Patient*innen, die seit dem Kindes- und Jugendalter erkrankt sind, bedarf einer eigenständigen Versorgungsform mit Vergütungsmodalitäten, die den besonderen Versorgungsbedarf und -aufwand abbilden.

Participatory Development of a Modular Advance Care Planning Program in Pediatric Palliative Care (MAPPS)

CONTEXT

Decision-making in pediatric palliative care concerns mainly children without decision-making capacity. It has to balance the child's best interests, parental responsibility and the impact on the family system.

OBJECTIVES

Advance care planning (ACP) supports decision making about future medical care. A consistent pediatric approach is still missing. This study aimed at developing a pediatric ACP program (pedACP) meeting specific needs of children, parents and professionals.

METHODS

Bereaved parents of children with life-limiting conditions and professionals involved in pedACP participated. Employing the technique of constellation analysis, they collaboratively assigned content, actors, tools and warning notes about pedACP along a timeline. The researchers analyzed, systematized and translated these results into a pedACP program draft, which was revised by the participants.

RESULTS

The participants' overall focus was on the children's quality of life and an individualized interdisciplinary communication process along the disease trajectory. The program was conceptualized in modular design with fixed modules at the beginning (to build a trustful relationship and frame the process) and at the end (to summarize results and prepare implementation). The main discussions are structured in flexible modules (About the child, Emergencies, Disease-specific scenarios and End of life care). General themes cover timing, communication, engaging children and structural issues. The participants appreciated the program's comprehensiveness and flexibility.

CONCLUSION

Parents and professionals combined their perspectives on reflecting goals of care and the complexity of pedACP. They perceived the resulting modular program as suitable for meeting the individual needs of patients, families and professional stakeholders.

How to Open the Door: A Qualitative, Observational Study on Initiating Advance Care Discussions with Parents in Pediatric Palliative Care

Context: Advance care discussions (ACD) between health care professionals (HCPs) and parents of children with a life-limiting disease are a core element of successful pediatric advance care planning (pACP). Yet, they are perceived as a challenging situation for all participants. Objectives: Our goal was to investigate the first step of ACD and identify its challenges and helpful communication strategies to develop a conversation guide for initiating the pACP process and structure the conversational opening. Methods: We performed a participant observation of 11 initial ACD and 24 interviews with 13 HCPs and 20 parents of 11 children cared for by 3 different palliative care teams in southern Germany. Qualitative data collection was supplemented by a questionnaire. Content analysis and conversation analysis were used for evaluation. Results: Parents and HCPs start the process with different expectations, which can lead to misunderstandings and confusion. HCPs gain parental cooperation when they express the purpose of the meeting clearly and early, provide structure and guidance, and give parents time to talk about their experiences and feelings. Addressing dying and death is hard for both sides and requires a sensitive approach. Conclusions: Initiating ACD is extremely challenging for all participants. HCPs and parents should clarify expectations and aims at the beginning of the conversation. Future research should focus on how HCPs can be trained for this task and how the right timing for introducing ACD to families can be identified. Clinical Trial Registration number 049-12.

Inborn errors of metabolism in palliative care

BACKGROUND

In parallel with the increase in the number of children with life-limiting or life-threatening diseases, the need for and right to pediatric palliative care is also increasing. This study aimed to examine the metabolic diseases, evaluate the symptoms, and review the needs of children who were admitted to the pediatric palliative care service.

METHODS

Following the approval of the local ethics committee (18/7/2019-107), the computer records of patients hospitalized in the pediatric palliative care service between December 1, 2018 and January 6, 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. Dr Behçet Uz Children's Hospital, Pediatric Palliative Care Center is third center in Turkey. Our pediatric palliative care center has one year of experience.

RESULTS

In the study period, there were 101 patients who were hospitalized in the pediatric palliative care service. Eighteen patients (19.7%) diagnosed with inborn errors of metabolism were included in the study. The mean age was 3.2 ± 2.1 (0-8) years. Although it could not be shown statistically, the duration of hospitalization of patients with congenital malformation was long.

CONCLUSION

Pediatric palliative care provides the best care with the control of various symptoms in neurodegenerative congenital metabolic diseases that do not have treatment or treatment, but progressive symptoms cannot be prevented.

What does effective end-of-life care at home for children look like? A qualitative interview study exploring the perspectives of bereaved parents

BACKGROUND

End-of-life care for children with life-shortening conditions is provided in a range of settings including hospital, hospice and home. What home-based, end-of-life care should entail or what best practice might look like is not widely reported, particularly from the perspective of parents who experienced the death of a child at home.

AIM

To explore the value and assess the effectiveness of an innovative model of care providing home-based, end-of-life care as perceived by families who accessed the service.

DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive study design was employed with in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with bereaved parents.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Thirteen bereaved parents of 10 children supported by the home-based end-of-life care service.

RESULTS

Parents reported effective aspects of end-of-life care provided at home to include: (1) ability to facilitate changes in preferred place of death; (2) trusted relationships with care providers who really know the child and family; (3) provision of child and family-centred care; (4) specialist care and support provided by the service as and when needed; and (5) quality and compassionate death and bereavement care. Parents proposed recommendations for future home-based end-of-life care including shared learning, improving access to home-based care for other families and dispelling hospice myths.

CONCLUSION

Parents with experience of caring for a dying child at home offer valuable input to future the policy and practice surrounding effective home-based, end-of-life care for children. New models of care or service developments should consider the key components and attributes for effective home-based end-of-life identified by bereaved parents in this study.

Patient-reported outcome measures in pediatric palliative care-a protocol for a scoping review

BACKGROUND

In pediatric palliative care (PPC), there is a need to involve the child's voice in situations regarding their symptoms and care needs. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) can be tools to systematically gather data reported from the child or a proxy if the child is not capable to self-report in order to provide the services they need. There has been a rapid development in PROM research the last decade, and there is a need for an overview of current knowledge and experiences in the field. Thus, we aim to explore and summarize what is known from the published research about PROMs in PPC.

METHODS

We propose a scoping review following the framework by Arksey and O'Malley and the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. A systematic search will be performed in the following databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline), Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), American Psychological Association (APA) PsycInfo, Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI), and Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED). The search will be followed by snowballing to identify key papers and significant researchers for additional citations. Covidence will facilitate the independent review of eligible citations, and data will be extracted and presented descriptively, and thematically analyzed using NVivo.

DISCUSSION

The scoping review suggested in this protocol will identify PROMs which have been proposed in PPC and clarify the experiences with their use. The findings of this review will be relevant for researchers and healthcare personnel caring for children and adolescents in PPC. In addition, by highlighting knowledge gaps about the use of PROMs in PPC, this review will point out future needs within this field of research, which is crucial for improving quality of care in PPC. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://osf.io/yfch2/ .

[End of life in patients under the care of paediatric palliative care teams. Multicentre observational study]

INTRODUCTION

Around 2000 children and adolescents die each year in Spain, however, we know little about the particularities of deaths in paediatrics. The purpose of this study is to document the characteristics of patients who die in the care of paediatric palliative care teams in Spain.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Retrospective, descriptive, multicentre study. Fourteen teams from all over the country participated.

RESULTS

Data were obtained from 164 patients. In most cases the underlying disease stemmed from oncological, neurological or neuromuscular processes. The median age at death was 6.9 years (RIC 11.2). The median follow-up time by the team was 0.3 years (RIC 0.8 years). The most frequent symptoms in the last week of life were dyspnoea, pain, increased secretions and sleep disorders. The median number of drugs administered to each patient one week prior to death was 6 (RIC 4). The place of death for 95 of the patients (57.9%) was hospital while 67 (40.9%) died at home.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a wide age range of patients and they had substantial exposure to polypharmacy. The follow-up time shows that patients have late access to palliative care programmes. An effort should be made to introduce this care earlier rather than relegating it to the end of life. In Spain there is an unequal distribution of resources and not all teams can provide care at home. The place of death should be interpreted with caution.

Place of death of children and young adults with a life-limiting condition in England: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To assess trends in place of death for children with a life-limiting condition and the factors associated with death at home or hospice rather than hospital.

DESIGN

Observational cohort study using linked routinely collected data.

SETTING

England.

PATIENTS

Children aged 0-25 years who died between 2003 and 2017.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Place of death: hospital, hospice, home. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression models.

RESULTS

39 349 children died: 73% occurred in hospital, 6% in hospice and 16% at home. In the multivariable models compared with dying in a hospital: neonates were less likely, and those aged 1-10 years more likely, than those aged 28 days to <1 year to die in hospice. Children from all ethnic minority groups were significantly less likely to die in hospice, as were those in the most deprived group (RR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7 to 0.9). Those who died from 2008 were more likely than those who died earlier to die in a hospice.Children with cancer (RR 4.4, 95% CI 3.8 to 5.1), neurological (RR 2.0, 95% CI 1.7 to 2.3) or metabolic (RR 3.7, 95% CI 3.0 to 4.6) diagnoses were more likely than those with a congenital diagnosis to die in a hospice.Similar patterns were seen for clinical/demographic factors associated with home versus hospital deaths.

CONCLUSIONS

Most children with a life-limiting condition continue to die in the hospital setting. Further research on preferences for place of death is needed especially in children with conditions other than cancer. Paediatric palliative care services should be funded adequately to enable equal access across all settings, diagnostic groups and geographical regions.

Clinical Characteristics of the End-of-Life Phase in Children with Life-Limiting Diseases: Retrospective Study from a Single Center for Pediatric Palliative Care

Background: Data on the end-of-life phase of children receiving palliative care are limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate the spectrum of symptoms of terminally ill children, adolescents, and young adults, depending on their underlying disease. Methods: Findings are based on a 4.5-year retrospective study of 89 children who received palliative care before they died, investigating the symptomatology of the last two weeks before death. Results: In this study, the most common clinical symptomatology present in children undergoing end-of-life care includes pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, nausea, and constipation. Out of 89 patients included in this study, 47% suffered from an oncological disease. Oncological patients had a significantly higher symptom burden at the end of life (p < 0.05) compared to other groups, and the intensity of symptoms increased as the underlying disease progressed. The likelihood of experiencing pain and nausea/vomiting was also significantly higher in oncological patients (p = 0.016). Conclusions: We found that the underlying disease is associated with marked differences in the respective leading clinical symptom. Therefore, related to these differences, symptom management has to be adjusted according to the underlying disease, since the underlying disorder seems to exert an influence on the severity of symptoms and thereby on the modality and choice of treatment. This study is intended to aid underlying disease-specific symptom management at the end-of-life care for children, adolescents, and young adults, with a specific focus on end-of-life care in a home environment.

Concerns of Parents With Children Receiving Home-Based Pediatric Palliative Care

CONTEXT

Caring for a child who will die from a life-limiting illness is one of the most difficult experiences a parent may face. Pediatric palliative care (PPC) has grown as a specialty service to address the unique needs of children and families with serious illness. However, gaps remain between the needs of families in PPC and the support received.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to explore the concerns of parents who have a child in home-based PPC.

METHODS

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 mothers and 10 fathers from 25 families shortly after their child's referral to home-based PPC. Children (57% male, M_age = 10.5 years, SD = 3.95, range = 4-18 years) had a range of diagnoses. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

Parents' concerns clustered into four main themes: 1) ensuring that their child's remaining days were spent living well physically, emotionally, and socially; 2) uncertainty regarding their child's diagnosis, prognosis, and treatments; 3) their child's death (e.g., the process of dying and when it will occur); and 4) the family, including the impact of the child's illness and death on siblings and wanting to cherish as much time together with family as possible.

CONCLUSION

Parents of children receiving home-based PPC expressed concerns across a range of domains, both about their seriously ill child and the broader family. These results highlight salient worries among parents of children in PPC and point to critical areas for intervention for seriously ill children and the broader family.

End-of-Life Care Related Distress in the PICU and NICU: A Cross-Sectional Survey in a German Tertiary Center

Objective: To investigate and compare nurses' perceived care-related distress and experiences in end-of-life situations in neonatal and pediatric intensive care units. Study design: Single-center, cross-sectional survey. Administration of an anonymous self-report questionnaire survey to nurses of two tertiary neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), and two tertiary pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in Berlin, Germany. Results: Seventy-three (73/227, response rate 32.2%) nurses completed surveys. Both, NICU (32/49; 65.3%) and PICU (24/24; 100.0%) nurses, reported "staffing shortages" to be the most frequent source of distress in end-of-life situations. However, when asked for the most distressing factor, the most common response by NICU nurses (17/49) was "lack of clearly defined and agreed upon therapeutic goals", while for PICU nurses (12/24) it was "insufficient time and staffing". No significant differences were found in reported distress-related symptoms in NICU and PICU nurses. The interventions rated by NICU nurses as most helpful for coping were: "discussion time before the patient's death" (89.6%), "team support" (87.5%), and "discussion time after the patient's death" (87.5%). PICU nurses identified "compassion" (98.8%), "team support", "personal/private life (family, friends, hobbies)", and "discussion time after the patient's death" (all 87.5%) as most helpful. Conclusions: Distress-related symptoms as a result of end-of-life care were commonly reported by NICU and PICU nurses. The most frequent and distressing factors in end-of-life situations might be reduced by improving institutional/organizational factors. Addressing the consequences of redirection of care, however, seems to be a more relevant issue for the relief of distress associated with end-of-life situations in NICU, as compared to PICU nurses.

Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Children With Life-Limiting Conditions Receiving Palliative Home Care

Context: Children with life-limiting diseases suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Since the introduction of specialized palliative home care (SPHC) in Germany, it is possible to care for these children at home. In phase 1 of care the aim is to stabilize the patient. In phase 2, terminal support is provided. Objectives: Analysis were performed of the differences between these phases. The causes and modalities/outcome of treatment were evaluated. Methods: A retrospective study was performed from 2014 to 2020. All home visits were analyzed with regard to the abovementioned symptoms, their causes, treatment and results. Results: In total, 149 children were included (45.9% female, mean age 8.17 ± 7.67 years), and 126 patients were evaluated. GI symptoms were common in both phases. Vomiting was more common in phase 2 (59.3 vs. 27.1%; p < 0.001). After therapy, the proportion of asymptomatic children in phase 1 increased from 40.1 to 75.7%; (p < 0.001). Constipation was present in 52.3% (phase 1) and 54.1% (phase 2). After treatment, the proportion of asymptomatic patients increased from 47.3 to 75.7% in phase 1 (p < 0.001), and grade 3 constipation was reduced from 33.9 to 15% in phase 2 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Painful GI symptoms occur in both palliative care phases but are more common in phase 2. The severity and frequency can usually be controlled at home. The study limitations were the retrospective design and small number of patients, but the study had a representative population, good data quality and a unique perspective on the reality of outpatient pediatric palliative care in Germany.

Home-Based End of Life Care for Children and their Families - A Systematic Scoping Review and Narrative Synthesis

PROBLEM

There is a growing international drive to deliver children's palliative care services closer to home. Families should have choice of where end of life (EOL) care is provided with home as one option. This review aims to establish the current international evidence base relating to children's EOL care at home.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

A systematic scoping review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. Seven databases were searched to identify papers published between 2000 and 2018. Eligibility criteria included papers reporting children's EOL care with specific relation to: home being the preferred place of death; services providing EOL care at home; family experiences of receiving support when their child died at home and professionals' experiences of delivering this care.

SAMPLE

Twenty-three papers met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review.

RESULTS

Engagement of families in EOL care planning discussions was identified as a key factor to facilitate choice of setting. Consistent themes from the data suggest that providing access to care in the home 24/7 by a team of professionals with specialist pediatric palliative care knowledge is an essential aspect of any model of home-based EOL care.

DISCUSSION AND APPLICATION TO PRACTICE

This is the first comprehensive review of home-based EOL care for children which offers a valuable contribution to policy, practice and research. The evidence mapped and synthesised in this review can inform the development of services to facilitate the provision of EOL care at home in line with the unique wishes and needs of children and families.

Factors Associated With the Location of Expected Pediatric Deaths in the Palliative Care Context

Early planning and knowing which factors to consider when planning the location of death (LOD) of a palliative child, may help minimize the burden of hasty decision-making in the future, and may provide families with a sense of control. The current paper reviewed which factors were associated with pediatric LOD and further considered some emerging factors that should are important to better facilitate integrative planning. Three overarching areas of consideration related to pediatric LOD planning were identified including health service factors, familial factors and patient factors. Multiple sub-factor considerations are presented. Further, the paper presents a conceptual model of the factors found to be related to pediatric LOD planning. The limitations that exist with rigorously and empirically studying pediatric LOD preferences are apparent from the dearth of knowledge seen in the field. However, future studies should continue to examine such factors more closely to better understand the nuanced implications.

Predictors for place of death among children:A systematic review and meta-analyses of recent literature

Through a systematic review and meta-analyses, we aimed to determine predictors for place of death among children. We searched online databases for studies published between 2008 and 2019 comprising original quantitative data on predictors for place of death among children. Data regarding study design, population characteristics and results were extracted from each study. Meta-analyses were conducted using generic inverse variance method with random effects. Fourteen cohort studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising data on 106,788 decedents. Proportions of home death varied between countries and regions from 7% to 45%. Lower age was associated with higher odds of hospital death in eight studies (meta-analysis was not possible). Children categorised as non-white were less likely to die at home compared to white (pooled OR 0.6; 95% CI 0.5-0.7) as were children of low socio-economic position versus high (pooled OR 0.7; 95% CI 0.6-0.9). Compared to patients with cancer, children with non-cancer diagnoses had lower odds of home death (pooled OR 0.5; 95% CI 0.5-0.5).Conclusion: Country and region of residence, older age of the child, high socio-economic position, 'white' ethnicity and cancer diagnoses appear to be independent predictors of home death among children. What is Known: • Home is often considered an indicator of quality in end-of-life care. • Most terminally ill children die in hospitals. What is New: • Through a systematic review and meta-analyses, this study examined predictors for place of death among children. • Country and region of residence, older age of the child, high socio-economic position, white ethnicity and having a cancer diagnosis appear to be independent predictors of home death among terminally ill children.

Current collaboration between palliative care and neurology: a survey of clinicians in Europe

INTRODUCTION

The collaboration between palliative care and neurology has developed over the last 25 years and this study aimed to ascertain the collaboration between the specialties across Europe.

METHODS

This online survey aimed to look at collaboration across Europe, using the links of the European Association for Palliative Care and the European Academy of Neurology.

RESULTS

298 people completed the survey-178 from palliative care and 120 from neurology from over 20 countries across Europe. They reported that there was good collaboration in the care for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and cerebral tumours but less for other progressive neurological diseases. The collaboration included joint meetings and clinics and telephone contacts. All felt that the collaboration was helpful, particularly for maintaining quality of life, physical symptom management, psychological support and complex decision making, including ethical issues.

DISCUSSION

The study shows evidence for collaboration between palliative care and neurology, but with the need to develop this for all neurological illness, and there is a need for increased education of both areas.

Visualizing social support in home pediatric palliative care using network maps

BACKGROUND

Home care of children with life-limiting diseases is extremely challenging for parents/family caregivers and their social environment. In order to gain new insights into the perspective of family caregivers, we employed digital Network Maps for the first time in the field of pediatric palliative care.

AIM

To examine whether the use of Network Maps helps to identify and visualize significant members of the social support system and the quality of the relationship, as well as the main areas of life that are experienced as being supportive by each individual.

DESIGN

The design was an integrated mixed methods study. Creation of Network Maps was assessed in conjunction with qualitative interviews. In addition, participants gave an oral feedback on the Network Maps themselves.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Parents of patients supported by a Specialized Home Pediatric Palliative Care team were eligible for inclusion. Forty-five parents were enrolled in the study.

RESULTS

All mothers and fathers were able to generate their individual Network Map without problems. The composition of the support systems differed greatly, even between members of the same family. Parents named on average 11 supporting actors, mainly family members and health care professionals. Some relationships were perceived as helpful and stressful at the same time.

CONCLUSION

Network Maps appear to be an appropriate tool for the collection, reconstruction, and assessment of the current support situation of parents of dying children. Further studies should examine the usefulness of Network Maps for the understanding of the caregivers' support needs and for the development of psychosocial interventional strategies by pediatric palliative care teams.

Facing the large variety of life-limiting conditions in children

Life-limiting conditions in children in specialized pediatric palliative care (PPC) are manifold. The "Together for Short Lives" (TfSL) association established four disease categories, which represent the most common illness trajectories. Better understanding the palliative care needs and symptoms of children within these TfSL groups will result in improved anticipation of clinical problems and tailored care. During this retrospective single-center cohort study, 198 children, adolescents, and young adults (CAYAs) were in PPC. Mean age at referral was 8.7 years (range 0.0-25.0), mean duration of care 355 days (range 1-2754). One hundred six (53.5%) CAYAs died during the study period. Sixty-five (32.8%) CAYAs were assigned to TfSL-1, 13 (6.6%) to TfSL-2, 49 (24.7%) to TfSL-3, and 71 (35.9%) to TfSL-4. Home visits were conducted on average every 9.6 days in TfSL-1, 18.9 days in TfSL-2, 31.7 days in TfSL-3, and 31.8 days in TfSL-4 (p value < 0.01).Conclusions: Intensity of palliative care significantly differed between the TfSL groups. Neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms were most prominent across all TfSL groups. Symptom cluster analysis showed distinct clusters in TfSL-1 (cluster 1, fatigue/lack of appetite/nausea/somnolence; cluster 2, dyspnea/fear/myoclonus/seizures/spasticity) and TfSL-3/4 (cluster 1, spasticity; cluster 2, all other symptoms).What is Known:• The four TfSL (together for short lives) groups represent the four most common illness trajectories of pediatric palliative care patients.• Better understanding the palliative care needs and symptoms of children within these four TfSL groups will result in improved anticipation of clinical problems and tailored care.What is New:• In our study, TfSL-1 represented the largest individual group of patients, also requiring the most intensive care (defined by the number of visits per days of care).• Symptom cluster analysis revealed distinct symptom clusters in TfSL-1 and TfSL-3/4, which can be used to anticipate clinically common challenges in these patients.

Challenges of palliative care in children with inborn metabolic diseases

Background

Our objective was to evaluate children with metabolic diseases in paediatric palliative home care (PPC) and the process of decision-making. This study was conducted as single-centre retrospective cohort study of patients in the care of a large specialized PPC team.

Results

Between 01/2013 and 09/2016, 198 children, adolescents and young adults were in the care of our PPC team. Twenty-nine (14.6%) of these patients had metabolic conditions. Median age at referral was 2.6 years (0–24), median duration of care 352 days (3–2248) and median number of home visits 13 (1–80). Most patients are still alive (16; 55.2%). Median number of drugs administered was 5 (range 0–12), antiepileptics were given most frequently.

Symptom burden was high in all children with metabolic disorders at referral and remained high throughout care. Predominant symptoms were gastrointestinal, respiratory and neurologic symptoms.

Children with metabolic conditions, who were referred to PPC younger than 1 year of age had a shorter period of care and died earlier compared to those children, who were referred to PPC later in their lives (older than 10 years of age).

Eleven (37.9%) of the children initially had no resuscitation restrictions and 7 (53.8%) of those who died, did so on ICU.

Conclusions

About 15% of children with life-limiting conditions in PPC present with metabolic diseases. Symptom burden is high with neurologic, respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms being the most frequent and most of those being difficult to treat. In these children, particular attention needs to be addressed to advance care planning.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13023-018-0868-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Pediatric Palliative Care for Children with Progressive Non-Malignant Diseases

A substantial number of children cared for by pediatric palliative care physicians have progressive non-malignant conditions. Some elements of their care overlap with care for children with cancer while other elements, especially prognosis and trajectory, have nuanced differences. This article reviews the population, physical-emotional and social concerns, and trajectory.