title: Qualitative analysis of consults by a pediatric advanced care team during its first year of service.
abstract: Phenomenologic analysis of initial consults provided during the first year of a new Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT) program provides essential understanding of the experience and inform program direction and future clinical research. Parents bring to the consult a desire to remain experts in their children's lives yet experience vulnerability as they seek assistance in making critical decisions often under conditions of disquieting uncertainty. Dynamic communication efforts involving the referring providers, PACT team members, and family are a key influence in facilitating consults' stated goals and in establishing the integrated palliative paradigm in a tertiary care environment. Validation was provided for a new research infrastructure that will function concurrently with the PACT clinical program in this rapidly evolving field.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, NY 10032, USA. mwb4@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tresgallo
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saroyan
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Granowetter
authors.forename: Glenny
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valoy
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schechter
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003376:Counseling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D035501:Uncertainty