Journal of palliative medicine
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With the continuing growth of pediatric palliative care, there is an increasing need to develop effective training for health care professionals. Bereaved parents have participated in the training of health care professionals utilizing curriculum from the Initiative for Pediatric Palliative Care (IPPC), but the experience of bereaved parents as educators has not been studied. ⋯ More benefits than burdens were experienced by both parents and health care professionals from the participation of bereaved parents in the palliative care trainings.
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Prognosis conversations are complex phenomena of substantial importance to palliative care (PC), yet these remain poorly understood. This study empirically identifies and describes major types of prognosis conversations that occur in the natural setting of PC consultation. ⋯ We observed three discrete types of prognosis conversations, each placing different communication demands upon all participants for achieving goal-concordant care: Navigating Options & Goals (56% of consultations), Facilitating New Goals (23%) and Preparing for End-of-Life (21%). This study provides the first step for developing educational and clinical prognosis communication interventions that are tailored to common decision-making contexts facing seriously ill patients, their families, and PC clinicians.
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Promoting resilience is an aspect of psychosocial care that affects patient and whole-family well-being. There is little consensus about how to define or promote resilience during and after pediatric cancer. ⋯ Resilience is a complex construct that may be modifiable. Once validated, the proposed framework will not only serve as a model for clinicians, but may also facilitate the development of interventions aimed at promoting resilience in family members of children with cancer.