Publication
Conceptualizations and definitions of pediatric palliative care by Israeli oncologists
Laronne A, Granek L, Golan H, Bubis P, Wiener L · Psycho-Oncology · 2020
Background/Purpose: Pediatric palliative care (PPC) is a comprehensive care approach that has physical, psychosocial, and spiritual aspects that can improve patients' and families' quality of life in the face of life-threatening illness. PPC in Israel is a young and evolving field with a limited number of trained professionals in the discipline and no clearly defined path for PPC services in pediatric-oncology departments. The goal of this study was to explore how pediatric oncologists interpret and implement the concept of PPC in their clinical settings. Method(s): This study was part of a larger project exploring barriers and facilitators to early integration of palliative care for children with cancer in Israel. The sample included 22 pediatric oncologists from six pediatric cancer centers across the country. The data were analyzed using the Grounded Theory method. Line-by-line coding was used to establish categories and themes. Constant comparison was used to examine relationships within, and across, codes and categories. Result(s): On the whole, participants reported that the concept of PPC in Israel is vague and ill-defined. There was wide variation in how oncologists perceived, conceptualized, and interpreted PPC. Physicians noted that PPC tended to have three dimensions which included: (a) treatment goals and benefits (ie, well-being and focus on quality of life), (b) treatments and services (ie, pain control and psycho-social care), and (c) treatment timing in the illness trajectory (ie, early integration vs at end of life). Conclusions and Implications: Pediatric oncologists varied greatly in their responses that reflected the absence of consensus on the definition of PPC and distinction from standard pediatric oncological care. PPC as a clearly defined field is starting to emerge in Israel. Our findings illustrate the challenges in the pediatric oncology community to differentiate between PPC and standard pediatric oncology care, which creates a significant barrier to the Implementation of PPC in Israel. A culturally appropriate approach to PPC needs to be established in a practical and accessible manner in order to overcome the barriers to providing palliative care for children with cancer.
Synced from the TRENDS in Pediatric Palliative Care Zotero library, curated by The Siden Research Team. ICPCN does not host or verify the full text.