Palliative care education for pediatric critical care trainees: A scoping review and a call to action

Authors

Lauren Rissman, Advocate Health - MidwestFollow
Alexandra Collell, Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
Kelly Lyons, Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, Norton Children's Hospital, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA.
Rachel Ashworth, Division of Pediatric Critical Care and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Amanda Alladin, Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, Holtz Children's Hospital, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
Mindy Dickerman, Department of Pediatrics, Nemours Children's Hospital, Wilmington, DE, USA.

Recommended Citation

Rissman L, Collell A, Lyons K, Ashworth R, Alladin A, Dickerman M. Palliative Care Education for Pediatric Critical Care Trainees: A Scoping Review and a Call to Action. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. Published online February 11, 2026. doi:10.1177/10499091261424903

Affiliations

Advocate Children's Hospital Park Ridge

Abstract

Objective: Review the current teaching methods, curricula, and assessment tools for pediatric palliative care (PPC) within the pediatric s intensive care setting for pediatric critical care medicine (PCCM) trainees as it pertains to the following domains: (1) Symptom management, (2) Communication, (3) Spiritual/Psychosocial, (4) End of Life (EOL).Data Sources: PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, EMBASE, and PsycINFO were searched for articles reporting on PPC educational curricula or interventions for residents and fellows in pediatric intensive care settings. The search strategy used a combination of MeSH terms and keywords to search for items that addressed intensive care, pediatrics, palliative care, residents or fellows, and education. Study Selection: Curricula that includes PCCM trainees (fellows and residents) nationally and internationally. Data Extraction: Covidence. Data Synthesis: Of 105 articles reviewed, 6 articles addressed PPC education in the PICU between 2015 and 2025. All 6 articles were United States-based and included simulation curricula focused on communication regarding EOL care. Evaluation tools varied across articles. There is a paucity of data around complex symptom management, communication on topics other than EOL, and spiritual and psychosocial education.Conclusions: Simulation focused on communication and EOL care is frequently used to teach PPC knowledge and skills to PCCM fellows and residents. Currently varied evaluation methods exist with limited PPC domains. This review highlights the need for future PPC curricula development for PCCM trainees.

Type

Article

PubMed ID

41668675