BACKGROUND: 8,600 children are eligible for palliative care services each day in the US, yet many pediatric residents and pediatricians do not feel comfortable providing palliative/end of life care. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a palliative care team (PCT) on pediatric and internal medicine/pediatric (IM/Peds) residents knowledge, comfort level and experience providing pediatric palliative care (PPC). DESIGN: Electronic 32-item questionnaire. SUBJECTS: Pediatric and IM/Peds residents at ACGME accredited programs during the 2011-2012 academic year. MEASUREMENTS: Residents' PPC training, knowledge, comfort levels and experiences. RESULTS: Nearly two-thirds of 294 respondents (63.6%; 95% CI: 58.2, 69.1) selected a description of PPC that describes palliative care as starting at the time of diagnosis regardless of treatment goals. Participants who reported the presence of a PCT at their institution selected this accurate description of PPC more often than those who did not report the presence of a PCT (72.3% vs. 53.3%; p<0.001, Fisher's Exact Test). Overall, 55.3% (95% CI: 49.2, 61.3) were comfortable providing PPC. Reporting the presence of a PCT was also associated with more comfort in providing PPC (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Reported presence of a PCT may be associated with greater resident comfort in providing PPC and a more accurate understanding of PPC. There remains ample opportunity to educate pediatric and IM/Peds residents in PPC.
BACKGROUND: 8,600 children are eligible for palliative care services each day in the US, yet many pediatric residents and pediatricians do not feel comfortable providing palliative/end of life care. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a palliative care team (PCT) on pediatric and internal medicine/pediatric (IM/Peds) residents knowledge, comfort level and experience providing pediatric palliative care (PPC). DESIGN: Electronic 32-item questionnaire. SUBJECTS: Pediatric and IM/Peds residents at ACGME accredited programs during the 2011-2012 academic year. MEASUREMENTS: Residents' PPC training, knowledge, comfort levels and experiences. RESULTS: Nearly two-thirds of 294 respondents (63.6%; 95% CI: 58.2, 69.1) selected a description of PPC that describes palliative care as starting at the time of diagnosis regardless of treatment goals. Participants who reported the presence of a PCT at their institution selected this accurate description of PPC more often than those who did not report the presence of a PCT (72.3% vs. 53.3%; p<0.001, Fisher's Exact Test). Overall, 55.3% (95% CI: 49.2, 61.3) were comfortable providing PPC. Reporting the presence of a PCT was also associated with more comfort in providing PPC (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Reported presence of a PCT may be associated with greater resident comfort in providing PPC and a more accurate understanding of PPC. There remains ample opportunity to educate pediatric and IM/Peds residents in PPC.
Authors: Ann C Long; Lois Downey; Ruth A Engelberg; Dee W Ford; Anthony L Back; J Randall Curtis Journal: J Pain Symptom Manage Date: 2016-01-28 Impact factor: 3.612
Authors: Sarah Mitchell; Karina Bennett; Andrew Morris; Anne-Marie Slowther; Jane Coad; Jeremy Dale Journal: Palliat Med Date: 2019-08-21 Impact factor: 4.762