WIP 34 - "Something's Missing": Trainees as Advocates for Pediatric Palliative Care at Their Program Institutions

Poster Number: WIP 34
Publication Number: WIP 34.965

Background: The Center to Advance Palliative Care’s (CAPC) 2019 report on America’s Care of Serious Illness shows that 86% of surveyed children's hospitals had a pediatric palliative care team. Yet, many children’s hospitals still lack this essential resource. While there has been many studies on pediatric trainees’ desire for more palliative care education, little research has been done on the impact that institutional resources have on the subject. The responsibility of institutions to provide quality education to trainees provides a unique advocacy opportunity for pediatric palliative care delivery, which prompted exploring this subject further.

Objective: This study aims to examine how trainees can advocate for the establishment of a pediatric palliative care division at their program’s institution. Objectives of the study are to understand trainees’ perspectives and roles in advocating for pediatric palliative care provision and education at their institution, and how developed advocacy plans can be adapted in other institutions.

Design/Methods: The institution studied is a pediatric hospital within a major health system located in an urban setting and provides many specialized pediatric services. Despite the demands of the hospital’s highly complex and acute patient population, pediatric palliative care is currently limited. An advocacy action plan was formed including a needs assessment, trainee testimonials, petition to leadership, and dissemination of materials from CAPC as education. The survey is currently being distributed to residents within the pediatric and internal medicine-pediatrics programs, and since data collection began in September 2023, over 50% of trainees have responded. While data collection is ongoing, the survey has already been able to identify clinical areas where trainees believe that palliative care is most needed and where barriers to care delivery may be.