This survey reveals the uncertainty of GPs regarding many theoretical issues but a strong willingness to integrate with the multiprofessional palliative care team. To further enhance the skills of GPs and facilitate the collaboration with palliative care services, it might be useful to realize ad hoc training schemes tailored to the different organizational procedures of in-home palliative care services.
Background
Pediatric palliative care (PPC) addresses the physical and psychological needs of children suffering from life-limiting diseases. To define prevention and educational plans and to properly allocate resources, a precise estimation of the PPC burden is required.
Objectives
To estimate the current number of children requiring PPC in Italy, useful to assist policy-makers and healthcare bodies in the organization and allocation of PPC resources.
Methods
Literature data, The Global Atlas of Palliative Care at the End of Life and Italian national databases have been consulted.
Results
According to our estimation, at present, a total of 20,540–32,864 children in Italy require PPC (34–54 children/100,000 inhabitants) of whom 18 children/100,000 inhabitants require specialized PPC.
Conclusions
The present work is a fundamental tool to be used by the institutions, the local networks of PPC and the health programmers when formulating organizational models and care plans consistent with the actual need for PPC.
This study highlights how a model based on early identification, multidimensional evaluation, and integration of services can promote adequate PC, also for noncancer patients, with a population-based approach.
The lack of Local Network of Palliative care, required by law 38/2010, is, at the present, the main barrier to its application. However, the adopted methodology suggests that a clear roadmap for health facilities to afford future quality and normative challenges.
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