Hospital, hospice, or home: A scoping review of the importance of place in pediatric palliative care.

BACKGROUND

Palliative care necessitates questions about the preferred place for delivering care and location of death. Place is integral to palliative care, as it can impact proximity to family, available resources/support, and patient comfort. Despite the importance of place, there is remarkably little literature exploring its role in pediatric palliative care (PPC).

OBJECTIVES

To understand the importance and meaning of place in PPC.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review to understand the importance of place in PPC. Five databases were searched using keywords related to "pediatric," "palliative," and "place." Two reviewers screened results, extracted data, and analyzed emergent themes pertaining to place.

RESULTS

From 3076 search results, we identified and reviewed 25 articles. The literature highlights hospital, home, and hospice as 3 distinct PPC places. Children and their families have place preferences for PPC and place of death, and a growing number prefer death to occur at home. Results also indicate numerous factors influence place preferences (e.g., comfort, grief, cultural/spiritual practices, and socioeconomic status).

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Place influences families' PPC decisions and experiences and thus warrants further study. Greater understanding of the importance and roles of place in PPC could enhance PPC policy and practice, as well as PPC environments.