Palliative Care for Pediatric Trauma Patients and Family
Overview
The American College of Surgeons on Trauma published the Palliative Care Best Practices Guidelines through their Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) in fall of 2017. Though not currently a mandate for Level I trauma centers, these guidelines are highly recommended for implementation in trauma programs to provide a continuum of parallel care for improving the quality of life for patients and families sustaining serious life threatening and or end of life circumstances.
Palliative care requires an interdisciplinary approach and is best delivered concurrently with other curative or life-sustaining therapies. Evidence shows that providing palliative care alongside trauma care decreases length of stay and cost as well as improving quality of care, pain and symptom management, and patient and family outcomes.
KCH Pediatric Palliative Care Team (PACT)
The mission of the Pediatric Advanced Care Team is to improve the quality of life of children with life limiting or serious illness. We aim to provide palliative care by focusing on the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of our patients and their families. Palliative care is best delivered concurrently with curative or life sustaining treatment.
We work to accomplish our mission by:
Assisting families with decision making and goals of care
Providing pain and symptom management
Promoting communication with families
Facilitating continuity during multiple admissions
Providing emotional, social, spiritual, and bereavement services
Improving complex care for children in the hospital or at home
Available Multidisciplinary Resources
Nurses, physicians, and all primary/clinical care providers and services
UK Chaplaincy Service
Social Workers, Case Managers
Child Life
Dietary/Nutritional Services
Pain Management Team
Psychiatry
Pediatric Psychology
Pediatric Palliative Care/Pediatric Advanced Care Team Services
Implementation
Palliative care is integrated in the overall culture of care for all KCH patients. Any patient, family, or healthcare team can request a palliative care consult. We then meet with the patient and family to assist with symptom management, learn about their goals as well as worries, and assist in providing goal concordant care.
Trauma Performance Improvement
The appropriate utilization of palliative care services for the pediatric trauma patients/families is evaluated through the Trauma Performance Improvement Program (PIPS).
PIPS are conducted by the Pediatric Trauma Coordinator reviews of all trauma identified patients.
All trauma related deaths are reviewed for elements of incorporated Palliative Care and reported through the Pediatric Trauma Interdepartmental Quality Assurance Committee (Peds IDTQA).
Last Update: 2/16/24