Palliative care interventions for pediatric surgical patients: a systematic review.

Abstract

Introduction There is a growing body of evidence that pediatric palli- ative care increases patient quality of life and parent sat- isfaction. Furthermore, the scope of palliative care con- tinues to expand to include complex care and coordina- tion for chronically ill children who are not necessarily approaching end of life. Many ill children with palliative needs interact with surgical providers and teams. Little is known about the utilization or efficacy of palliative care referrals for pediatric surgical patients. Material and Methods To better understand the potential need for palliative care as well as barriers to accessing care among this vulnera- ble population, we performed a systematic review of Pub- Med, EMBASE, and Cinhal for relevant literature pub- lished from January 1, 2008 to March 1, 2018. Results 10 articles met inclusion criteria. No high-quality studies were identified. Conclusion The limited available evidence suggests an unmet need for pediatric palliative care. Barriers to access were iden- tified including lack of provider palliative care education, and reluctance of the primary team to refer patients to palliative care. Further study is warranted to better guide the use of palliative care for pediatric surgical patients.