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Nilsson S, Öhlén J, Nyblom S, Ozanne A, Stenmarker M, Larsdotter C. Place of death among children from 0 to 17 years of age: A population-based study from Sweden. Acta Paediatr 2024; 113:2155-2163. [PMID: 38819101 DOI: 10.1111/apa.17308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
AIM The aim of this study is to contribute to the development of paediatric palliative care by investigating, on a population basis, where children in Sweden died, from 2013 to 2019. A particular focus was on comparing two groups: children who died during their first year of life with children who died at 1-17 years of age. METHODS We hypothesised that there might be variations in place of death between the defined groups. Utilising national registry data, descriptive statistics were used to assess the distribution and variations in the place of death. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to ascertain the impact of associated factors. RESULTS Most children died in hospitals (74.7%). The hypothesis postulating divergences in the place of death between age groups was not substantiated. Sex and birthplace showed no significant differences in home deaths. Deaths due to malignancies had a relatively high likelihood of occurring at home (39.0%). For perinatal diagnoses, the incidence of home deaths was relatively low (1.5%). CONCLUSION Children who received support from a specialist palliative service in their own homes were notably less likely to die in a hospital setting compared to those who did not receive such support. An unplanned hospital visit increased the likelihood of hospital death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Nilsson
- Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Person-Centred Care (GPCC), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Queen Silvia Children's Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Joakim Öhlén
- Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Centre for Person-Centred Care (GPCC), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Palliative Centre, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Stina Nyblom
- Palliative Centre, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anneli Ozanne
- Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Neurology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Margaretha Stenmarker
- Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Paediatrics, Region Jönköping County, Jönköping, Sweden
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Larsdotter
- Department of Nursing Science, Sophiahemmet University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Martinez I, Currie E, Davis ES, Kumar R, Lawhon V, Snaman JM, Tefera RB, Bhatia S, Rosenberg AR, Johnston EE. Bereaved parent preferences on quality end-of-life care for children with cancer in the South. Cancer 2024. [PMID: 39155428 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.35518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The authors sought to understand bereaved family preferences for end-of-life (EOL) care, particularly among Black families and those in the South. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of children who died of cancer ≥6 months before at Children's of Alabama. Themes were identified via content analysis. Quotes related to medical intensity, chemotherapy, and location of death (LOD) were scored on 5-point Likert scales, ranging from 1 (comfort care, chemotherapy, or home death) to 5 (medically intense care, avoidance of chemotherapy, or hospital death). RESULTS Twenty-seven bereaved parents (12 Black) were interviewed. Children died at a mean of 13.1 years (SD = 6.1 years) and a median of 3 years before the interview (range = 1-12 years). Ten children (42%) had central nervous system tumors and the majority (63%) died in the hospital. Family decision-making involved maintaining hope, not causing harm, doing what was best for their child and themselves, and religious beliefs. There was no clear preference for home versus hospital death (3.0 [1.8-4.0]). Instead, parents considered their child's desires and/or medical needs, siblings, and prior experiences with death. To have a comfortable death, parents highlighted the need for comprehensive education about their child's EOL, a caring and comfortable environment, and 24/7 access to their care team. Families expressed a dual preference for comfort care (1.8 [1.3-2.8]) and chemotherapy (3.5 [2.7-4.1]) at EOL. CONCLUSIONS Families did not see chemotherapy and comfort care as conflicting goals. They sought quality care emphasizing flexibility, quality time with their child, and open access to their care team, regardless of LOD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Martinez
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Erin Currie
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Davis
- Department of Surgery, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rohail Kumar
- Division of Pediatric Palliative Medicine, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and Roger Neilson House, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Valerie Lawhon
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Jennifer M Snaman
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Raba B Tefera
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Smita Bhatia
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Abby R Rosenberg
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Emily E Johnston
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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Lacerda A, Martínez MA, Dumont B, Leiss U, Kokkinou G, Scheinemann K, Craig F. Embracing paediatric palliative care in paediatric oncology from diagnosis onwards. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2023; 70:e30561. [PMID: 37430425 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Paediatric palliative care aims to support children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, and their families, from the time of diagnosis. Early integration within oncology has been recognised as having benefits for all involved, whatever the outcome may be. Through improved communication and advance care planning, it enables user-centred care, where concerns about quality of life, preferences and values are given the same relevance as cutting-edge therapy. Challenges to the integration of palliative care within paediatric oncology include raising awareness and providing education, whilst searching for the best care model and adapting to an ever-changing therapeutic scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lacerda
- SIOP Europe Palliative Care Working Group Steering Committee, Brussels, Belgium
- European Association for Palliative Care Children and Young People Reference Group, Vilvoorde, Belgium
- Department of Paediatrics, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - María Avilés Martínez
- SIOP Europe Palliative Care Working Group Steering Committee, Brussels, Belgium
- Paediatric Palliative Care Unit, Niño Jesús Children's University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Nursing, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Benoît Dumont
- SIOP Europe Palliative Care Working Group Steering Committee, Brussels, Belgium
- Paediatric Hematology and Oncology Institute, Léon Bérard Cancer Center, Lyon, France
| | - Ulrike Leiss
- SIOP Europe Palliative Care Working Group Steering Committee, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georgia Kokkinou
- SIOP Europe Palliative Care Working Group Steering Committee, Brussels, Belgium
- Floga - Parents Association of Children with Cancer, Athens, Greece
- Childhood Cancer International Europe, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katrin Scheinemann
- SIOP Europe Palliative Care Working Group Steering Committee, Brussels, Belgium
- Division of Oncology-Haematology, Department of Paediatrics, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland
- Department of Paediatrics, McMaster Children's Hospital and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Finella Craig
- SIOP Europe Palliative Care Working Group Steering Committee, Brussels, Belgium
- European Association for Palliative Care Children and Young People Reference Group, Vilvoorde, Belgium
- Louis Dundas Paediatric Palliative Care Centre, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
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Piette V, Deliens L, Debulpaep S, Cohen J, Beernaert K. Appropriateness of end-of-life care for children with genetic and congenital conditions: a cohort study using routinely collected linked data. Eur J Pediatr 2023; 182:3857-3869. [PMID: 37328636 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-023-05030-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the appropriateness of end-of-life care for children with genetic and congenital conditions. This is a decedent cohort study. We used 6 linked, Belgian, routinely collected, population-level databases containing children (1-17) who died with genetic and congenital conditions in Belgium between 2010 and 2017. We measured 22 quality indicators, face-validated using a previously published RAND/UCLA methodology. Appropriateness of care was defined as the overall "expected health benefit" of given healthcare interventions within a healthcare system exceeding expected negative outcomes. In the 8-year study period, 200 children were identified to have died with genetic and congenital conditions. Concerning appropriateness of care, in the last month before death, 79% of children had contact with specialist physicians, 17% had contact with a family physician, and 5% received multidisciplinary care. Palliative care was used by 17% of the children. Concerning inappropriateness of care, 51% of the children received blood drawings in the last week before death, and 29% received diagnostics and monitoring (2 or more magnetic resonance imaging scans, computed tomography scans, or X-rays) in the last month. Conclusion: Findings suggest end-of-life care could be improved in terms of palliative care, contact with a family physician and paramedics, and diagnostics and monitoring in the form of imaging. What is Known: • Previous studies suggest that end-of life care for children with genetic and congenital conditions may be subject to issues with bereavement, psychological concerns for child and family, financial cost at the end of life, decision-making when using technological interventions, availability and coordination of services, and palliative care provision. Bereaved parents of children with genetic and congenital conditions have previously evaluated end-of-life care as poor or fair, and some have reported that their children suffered a lot to a great deal at the end of life. • However, no peer-reviewed population-level quality evaluation of end-of-life care for this population is currently present. What is New: • This study provides an evaluation of the appropriateness of end-of-life care for children who died in Belgium with genetic and congenital conditions between 2010 and 2017, using administrative healthcare data and validated quality indicators. The concept of appropriateness is denoted as relative and indicative within the study, not as a definitive judgement. • Our study suggests improvements in end-of-life care may be possible, for instance, in terms of the provision of palliative care, contact with care providers next to the specialist physician, and diagnostics and monitoring in terms of imaging (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scans). Further empirical research is necessary, for instance, into unforeseen and foreseen end-of-life trajectories, to make definitive conclusions about appropriateness of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veerle Piette
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luc Deliens
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Sara Debulpaep
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Joachim Cohen
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kim Beernaert
- End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Ananth P, Lindsay M, Mun S, McCollum S, Shabanova V, de Oliveira S, Pitafi S, Kirch R, Ma X, Gross CP, Boyden JY, Feudtner C, Wolfe J. Parent Priorities in End-of-Life Care for Children With Cancer. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2313503. [PMID: 37184834 PMCID: PMC10878399 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.13503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Robust quality measures to benchmark end-of-life care for children with cancer do not currently exist; 28 candidate patient-centered quality measures were previously developed. Objective To prioritize quality measures among parents who lost a child to cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants This survey study was conducted using an electronic, cross-sectional discrete choice experiment (DCE) with maximum difference scaling from January to June 2021 in the US. In each of 21 questions in the DCE, participants were presented with a set of 4 quality measures and were asked to select the most and least important measures within each set. All 28 quality measures were presented an equal number of times in different permutations. In the volunteer sample, 69 eligible bereaved parents enrolled in the study; 61 parents completed the DCE (participation rate, 88.4%). Main Outcomes and Measures Using choices participants made, a hierarchical bayesian multinomial logistic regression was fit to derive mean importance scores with 95% credible intervals (95% Crs) for each quality measure, representing the overall probability of a quality measure being selected as most important. Importance scores were rescaled proportionally from 0 to 100, with the sum of scores for all quality measures adding up to 100. This enabled interpretation of scores as the relative importance of quality measures. Results Participants included 61 bereaved parents (median [range] age, 48 [24-74] years; 55 individuals self-identified as women [90.2%]; 1 American Indian or Alaska Native [1.6%], 1 Asian [1.6%], 2 Black or African American [3.3%], 1 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 58 White [91.8%]; 58 not Hispanic or Latinx [95.1%]). Highest-priority quality measures by mean importance score included having a child's symptoms treated well (9.25 [95% Cr, 9.06-9.45]), feeling that a child's needs were heard by the health care team (8.39 [95% Cr, 8.05-8.73]), and having a goal-concordant end-of-life experience (7.45 [95% Cr, 6.84-8.05]). Lowest-priority quality measures included avoiding chemotherapy (0.33 [95% Cr, 0.21-0.45]), provision of psychosocial support for parents (1.01 [95% Cr, 0.57-1.45]), and avoiding the intensive care unit (1.09 [95% Cr, 0.74-1.43]). Rank-ordering measures by mean importance revealed that symptom management was 9 times more important to parents than psychosocial support for themselves. Conclusions and Relevance This study found that bereaved parents prioritized end-of-life quality measures focused on symptom management and goal-concordant care while characterizing quality measures assessing their own psychosocial support and their child's hospital resource use as substantially less important. These findings suggest that future research should explore innovative strategies to measure care attributes that matter most to families of children with advanced cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanna Ananth
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy and Effectiveness Research Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Meghan Lindsay
- Yale Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy and Effectiveness Research Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sophia Mun
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle
| | - Sarah McCollum
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Veronika Shabanova
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Sarah Pitafi
- University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Kirch
- National Patient Advocate Foundation, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Xiaomei Ma
- Yale Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy and Effectiveness Research Center, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Cary P Gross
- Yale Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy and Effectiveness Research Center, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jackelyn Y Boyden
- Department of Family and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia
- Justin Michael Ingerman Center for Palliative Care, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Chris Feudtner
- Justin Michael Ingerman Center for Palliative Care, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Departments of Pediatrics, Medical Ethics, and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Joanne Wolfe
- Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston
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6
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Bayoumi AM. Quantitative Assessment of Parent and Patient Preferences. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2313509. [PMID: 37184841 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.13509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M Bayoumi
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of General Internal Medicine, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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7
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Avagnina I, Giacomelli L, Mercante A, Benini F. International project on troublesome symptoms in paediatric palliative care will focus on neuro-irritability, dystonia and sleep disorders. Acta Paediatr 2023; 112:569-570. [PMID: 36627263 DOI: 10.1111/apa.16663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Avagnina
- Department of Paediatrics, Paediatric Pain and Palliative Care Service, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Anna Mercante
- Child Neuropsychiatry Residency Program, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Franca Benini
- Department of Paediatrics, Paediatric Pain and Palliative Care Service, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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8
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Tatterton MJ, Fisher MJ, Storton H, Walker C. The role of children's hospices in perinatal palliative care and advance care planning: The results of a national British survey. J Nurs Scholarsh 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jnu.12866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Tatterton
- School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership, Faculty of Health Studies University of Bradford Bradford UK
- Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice North Anston UK
- International Children's Palliative Care Network c/o Together for Short Lives Bristol UK
| | - Megan J. Fisher
- School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership, Faculty of Health Studies University of Bradford Bradford UK
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9
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Ananth P, Wolfe J, Johnston EE. Charting a path to high-quality end-of-life care for children with cancer. Cancer 2022; 128:3586-3592. [PMID: 36006762 PMCID: PMC9530011 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.34419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
There are currently no quality measures for end-of-life (EOL) care for children with cancer. In this commentary, we address why it is essential that we develop quality measures for EOL care for children with cancer, review the progress made to date, and chart the course for future work in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanna Ananth
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
- Yale Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy and Effectiveness Research Center, New Haven, CT
| | - Joanne Wolfe
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Emily E. Johnston
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
- Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
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10
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Ananth P, Lindsay M, Nye R, Mun S, Feudtner C, Wolfe J. End-of-life care quality for children with cancer who receive palliative care. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2022; 69:e29841. [PMID: 35686746 PMCID: PMC10498672 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.29841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We previously developed stakeholder-informed quality measures to assess end-of-life care quality for children with cancer. We sought to implement a subset of these quality measures in the multi-center pediatric palliative care (PPC) database. PROCEDURES We utilized the Shared Data and Research database to evaluate the proportion of childhood cancer decedents from 2017-2021 who, in the last 30 days of life, avoided chemotherapy, mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit admissions, and > 1 hospital admission; were enrolled in hospice services, and reported ≤ 2 highly distressing symptoms. We then explored patient factors associated with the attainment of quality benchmarks. RESULTS Across 79 decedents, 82% met ≥ 4 quality benchmarks. Most (76%) reported > 2 highly distressing symptoms; 17% were enrolled in hospice. In univariable analyses, patients with an annual household income ≤$50,000 had lower odds of hospice enrollment and avoidance of mechanical ventilation or intensive care unit admissions near end of life (odds ratio [OR] 0.10 [95% confidence interval (C.I.) 0.01, 0.86], p = 0.04; OR 0.13 [0.02, 0.64], p = 0.01; OR 0.36 [0.13, 0.98], p = 0.04, respectively). In multivariable analyses, patients with an income ≤$50,000 remained less likely to enroll in hospice, after adjusting for cancer type (OR 0.10 [0.01, 0.87]; p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Childhood cancer decedents who received PPC met a large proportion of quality measures near the end of their life. Yet, many reported highly distressing symptoms. Moreover, patients with lower household incomes appeared less likely to enroll in hospice and more likely to receive intensive hospital services near the end of life. This study identifies opportunities for palliative oncology quality improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanna Ananth
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Yale Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy and Effectiveness Research (COPPER) Center, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Meghan Lindsay
- Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Russell Nye
- Justin Michael Ingerman Center for Palliative Care, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Departments of Pediatrics, Medical Ethics, and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sophia Mun
- Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Chris Feudtner
- Justin Michael Ingerman Center for Palliative Care, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Departments of Pediatrics, Medical Ethics, and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joanne Wolfe
- Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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11
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Merkel E, Rosenberg AR. Quality measures in end-of-life care among pediatric cancer patients: A lever for optimizing comfort and improving equity. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2022; 69:e29883. [PMID: 35815834 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.29883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Merkel
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Palliative Care and Resilience Program, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Abby R Rosenberg
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Palliative Care and Resilience Program, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
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