Impact of a pediatric palliative care team on resident education in end of life care

Abstract

Introduction The presence of Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC) teams and PPC curricula at teaching hospitals are shown to increase resident physician education in pain and symptom management. However, their impact on residents’ comfort in caring for children at the end of life (EOL) is not well studied. We sought to examine whether differences exist in reported levels of experience and education with palliative andEOL care among physicians completing residency before versus after the development of a PPC team. Methods We surveyed 329 pediatrics residents and graduates from our medium-sized children’s hospital about their experiences and education in providing palliative or EOL care to pediatric patients. We compared responses from residents who completed training prior to the development of a PPC team to those who completed training after its implementation. Results 149 individuals (45%) responded. Participants who completed residency during or after the implementation of the PPC team were more likely to agree that they received education about EOL symptom management (K2 = 11.58, P < 0.001) and felt comfortable caring for patients at EOL (K 2 = 5.62, P = 0.02). Discussion Our findings suggest a beneficial impact of PPC team presence on pediatrics resident education. When appropriate, involving of pediatrics residents in the care of children approaching EOL should be supported and encouraged.