title: The impact of a palliative care team on residents' experiences and comfort levels with pediatric palliative care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  8,600 children are eligible for palliative care services each day in the US, yet many pediatric residents and pediatricians do not feel comfortable providing palliative/end of life care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of a palliative care team (PCT) on pediatric and internal medicine/pediatric (IM/Peds) residents knowledge, comfort level and experience providing pediatric palliative care (PPC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic 32-item questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pediatric and IM/Peds residents at ACGME accredited programs during the 2011-2012 academic year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Residents' PPC training, knowledge, comfort levels and experiences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nearly two-thirds of 294 respondents (63.6%; 95% CI: 58.2, 69.1) selected a description of PPC that describes palliative care as starting at the time of diagnosis regardless of treatment goals. Participants who reported the presence of a PCT at their institution selected this accurate description of PPC more often than those who did not report the presence of a PCT (72.3% vs. 53.3%; p<0.001, Fisher's Exact Test). Overall, 55.3% (95% CI: 49.2, 61.3) were comfortable providing PPC. Reporting the presence of a PCT was also associated with more comfort in providing PPC (p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reported presence of a PCT may be associated with greater resident comfort in providing PPC and a more accurate understanding of PPC. There remains ample opportunity to educate pediatric and IM/Peds residents in PPC.
authors.affiliation: Baystate Medical Center , Springfield, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Kelly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Friderici
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Goff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States