title: Affording opportunities to discuss deterioration in paediatric palliative care consultations: a conversation analytic study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Discussing the potential deterioration of a child who has a life-limiting condition has recognised benefits for future care, but can be challenging in a clinical context where uncertain illness trajectories are common. Existing research is restricted to indirect forms of evidence such as self-report data from clinicians and families. This study directly explores how discussions about deterioration are managed within actual paediatric palliative care consultations.
  
  
  METHODS
  9 consultations were video recorded in an Australian paediatric palliative care service. Each consultation involved the same paediatric palliative care specialist. Conversation analysis was used to identify and explore recurrent ways in which discussions about deterioration came to be realised.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study identified two communicative practices used by a paediatric palliative care specialist that afforded opportunities to discuss deterioration: (1) soliciting the family's agenda for the consultation; (2) initiating and maintaining topics where discussing deterioration is a relevant possibility. Across these different practices, a common feature was indirect initiation of discussions about deterioration. This approach made such discussions possible, but without mandating or even suggesting that such discussion must occur.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These communicative practices balance the benefit of discussing deterioration against a recognised importance of allowing discussions to be directed by a child's family. This was achieved by creating opportunities for discussing deterioration, without making such discussions necessary.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8837-7440
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ekberg
authors.affiliation: School of Early Childhood, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1944-7043
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Danby
authors.affiliation: Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9777-1105
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.affiliation: Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Natalie K
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1602-4544
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Bradford
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Patsy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yates
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D032722:Advance Care Planning; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012017:Referral and Consultation
keywords: Communication; Family management; Paediatrics; Prognosis