Researching children's perspectives in pediatric palliative care: A systematic review and meta-summary of qualitative research

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Ghirotto ◽  
Elena Busani ◽  
Michela Salvati ◽  
Valeria Di Marco ◽  
Valeria Caldarelli ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveQualitative research is pivotal in gaining understanding of individuals’ experiences in pediatric palliative care. In the past few decades, the number of qualitative studies on pediatric palliative care has increased slightly, as has interest in qualitative research in this area. Nonetheless, a limited number of such studies have included the first-person perspective of children. The aim of this article is to understand the contribution of previous qualitative research on pediatric palliative care that included the voices of children.MethodA systematic review of qualitative studies and a meta-summary were conducted. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and ERIC were searched without limitations on publication date or language. Eligible articles were qualitative research articles in which the participants were children ranging in age from 3 to 18 years.ResultWe retrieved 16 qualitative research articles reporting on 12 unique studies, and we selected two mixed-method articles. The meta-summary shows eight themes: the relationship with professional caregivers, pain and its management, “living beyond pain,” the relationship between pediatric patients and their families, children's view on their treatment and service provision, meanings children give to their end-of-life situation, consequences of clinical decisions, and the relationships among children in pediatric palliative care and their peers.Significance of resultsThis meta-summary presents the “state of the art” of pediatric palliative care qualitative research on children and highlights additional research areas that warrant qualitative study.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Leonor Grijó ◽  
Carolina Tojal ◽  
Francisca Rego

Abstract Objective Dignity therapy (DT) is a kind of psychotherapy that identifies the main concerns of end-of-life patients that affect their perception of dignity and helps them to find a new meaning in life. Most prior studies on DT analyze outcomes for palliative care patients. The aim of this systematic review is to explore the outcomes of DT in palliative care patients’ family members. Method In June 2020, a bibliographic search was performed using the terms “Dignity Therapy” and “Palliative Care” in the following databases: Cochrane library, TRIP database, PUBMED, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge. Of the 294 articles found, 8 met the selection criteria and were considered in the present study. No articles were excluded based on their publication date. Results Family members generally believe that DT helps them to better prepare the patient's end-of-life and overcome the bereavement phase. The legacy document was considered a source of comfort, and most would recommend DT to other people in their situation. DT is generally considered as important as any other aspect of the patient's treatment. Significance of results There is evidence of the benefits of DT for palliative patients’ family members. However, there are still few studies that evaluate these outcomes. The existing evidence is poorly generalized, and thus, further studies are needed to deeply explore the benefits of this therapy both for patients and their families.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1043
Author(s):  
Silvia Ortiz-Campoy ◽  
Cristina Lirio-Romero ◽  
Helena Romay-Barrero ◽  
David Martín-Caro Álvarez ◽  
Purificación López-Muñoz ◽  
...  

Pediatric palliative care (PPC) is a set of actions aimed at children who suffer from a severe or life-threatening disease to alleviate the symptoms of the disease and improve the quality of life of both the child and his/her family. One of the tools used to control symptoms is physiotherapy; however, its application in the child population has not been thoroughly studied. The main objective of this study was to gather, analyze, and critically evaluate the available scientific evidence on physiotherapy in children who require palliative care through a systematic review of the studies published in the last 10 years in the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, PEDro, CINAHL, and Scopus. Of a total of 622 studies, the inclusion criteria were only met by seven articles, which were focused on the relationship between physiotherapy and PPC. This study analyzed: (1) the main pathologies treated, with a predominance of cerebral palsy and cancer; (2) the interventions applied, such as respiratory physiotherapy, neurological physiotherapy, therapeutic massage, and virtual reality; (3) the effects achieved in the child and his/her family, highlighting the control of symptoms and the improvement of the quality of life; and (4) the knowledge of the physiotherapists on PPC, observing that most of the professionals had not received training in this scope. The findings of this review indicate a lack of an adequate evidence foundation for physiotherapy in PPC.


2020 ◽  
pp. 097215092096688
Author(s):  
Mohammed Ali Sharafuddin ◽  
Meena Madhavan

This study adopts a novel mix of scientometrics, theme-based, citation-based systematic review and interpretative aggregation approach (STCSR-IA) with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. It presents a macro-level scientometric analysis of tourism research in coastal, marine and maritime (blue tourism) environments by using 986 research articles published in 130 Scopus-indexed journals from 2000 to 2019. The thematic evolution of research in five time periods of four years each (2000–2003, 2004–2007, 2008–2011, 2012–2015, 2016–2019) was analysed using the authors’ keywords and classified as (a) preliminary (b) transversal stage I (c) transversal stage II and (d) growth stage. The massive evolution of research areas in the growth stage and their themes along with the growing nexus of conceptual relationship within blue tourism is systematically reviewed and presented as a thematic research framework.


2010 ◽  
pp. 58-78
Author(s):  
Franca Beccaria

The article analyses the complexity of the relationship between young people and alcohol and how this varies over time by using a longitudinal comparison of qualitative studies carried out in Italy. This study highlights the fact that alcoholic drinks remain central in young people's identity-building, which begins at a young age in the long alcohol socialization process within the family context. The young people from the new millennium show more similarities than differences than those from twenty years before, although noticeable is the loss of the transgressive value of drinking in favour of more exploratory and innovative styles.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 376-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARIJE BROUWER ◽  
ELS MAECKELBERGHE ◽  
WILLEMIEN DE WEERD ◽  
EDUARD VERHAGEN

Abstract:In 2002, The Netherlands continued its leadership in developing rules and jurisdiction regarding euthanasia and end-of-life decisions by implementing the Euthanasia Act, which allows euthanasia for patients 12 years of age and older. Subsequently, in 2005, the regulation on active ending of life for newborns was issued. However, more and more physicians and parents have stated that the age gap between these two regulations—children between 1 and 12 years old—is undesirable. These children should have the same right to end their suffering as adults and newborn infants. An extended debate on pediatric euthanasia ensued, and currently the debate is ongoing as to whether legislation should be altered in order to allow pediatric euthanasia. An emerging major question regards the active ending of life in the context of palliative care: How does a request for active ending of life relate to the care that is given to children in the palliative phase? Until now, the distinction between palliative care and end-of-life decisions continues to remain unclear, making any discussion about their mutual in- and exclusiveness hazardous at best. In this report, therefore, we aim to provide insight into the relationship between pediatric palliative care and end-of-life decisions, as understood in the Netherlands. We do so by first providing an overview of the (legal) rules and regulations regarding euthanasia and active ending of life, followed by an analysis of the relationship between these two, using the Dutch National Guidelines for Palliative Care for Children. The results of this analysis revealed two major and related features of palliative care and end-of-life decisions for children: (1) palliative care and end-of-life decisions are part of the same process, one that focuses both on quality of living and quality of dying, and (2) although physicians are seen as ultimately responsible for making end-of-life decisions, the involvement of parents and children in this decision is of the utmost importance and should be regarded as such.


2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caprice Knapp ◽  
Lindsey Woodworth ◽  
Michael Wright ◽  
Julia Downing ◽  
Ross Drake ◽  
...  

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