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

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundPalliative 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).ObjectivesTo understand the importance and meaning of place in PPC.MethodsWe 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.ResultsFrom 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 resultsPlace 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.