Pediatric palliative care.

Pediatric medicine is moving toward a greater appreciation that the delivery of quality medical care involves a partnership including the health care team, the child, and the family. Pediatric medicine now emphasizes the importance of information exchange among these groups. This paper discusses two models for communicating with children and their families throughout a complex life-threatening illness. Both models serve as a framework for integrating the medical and nonmedical aspects of the illness experience.