Palliative Care in Children – an EAPC Task Force
Background
The New Palliative Care in Children EAPC Taskforce was established in Autumn 2006 following the recognition, by EAPC, of an international initiative involving 18 palliative care experts promoted by the Maruzza Lefebvre D’Ovidio Foundation, the Livia Benini Foundation and the No Pain for Children Association. The meeting was known as IMPaCCT (International Meeting on Palliative Care for Children, Trento) its aim was to discuss the existing situation of care availability, practices and delivery in different European countries and to develop standards for palliative care in children in Europe. The outcome was the publication of a unified document defining and identifying standards of care for children with life-limiting and life threatening illness, recommending their implementation in all European countries.
Aims and Objectives
The purpose of the ‘EAPC Taskforce: Palliative Care in children’ is to build on the work already accomplished and to devise concrete proposals for the reform and improvement of existing Palliative Care practices for infants, children and adolescents, regardless of age, type of pathology, cultural, social and economic background.
Its main aims are:
- To raise awareness of the need of Palliative Care in Children for Europe.
- To identify the minimum standards of care.
- To create a European network of Paediatric Palliative Care professionals
Short term objectives:
1) The translation and extensive dissemination of IMPaCCT document.
2) The publication of guidelines aimed at policy makers and stake holders.
The Taskforce is currently working on a document that, through systematic and comprehensive analysis of scientific evidence, anecdotal experience, suggestions and contributions from leading international experts, will formulate recommendations for health care professionals and policy makers involved in the development and improvement of Paediatric Palliative Care Services in Europe.
Long term objectives:
1) To develop clinical guidelines for paediatric palliative care for health care professionals.
2) To constitute a European observatory for paediatric palliative care.
2) To promote multi-centred research related to palliative care in children
Members
The steering group:
Franca Benini M.D (Co-chair)
Consultant in Paediatric Pain and Palliative Care
Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua - Padua, Italy
Huda Abu-Saad Huijer RN, PhD, FEANS (Co-chair)
Professor of Nursing Science
Director School of Nursing, American University of Beirut - Beirut, Lebanon
Finella Craig M.D.
Consultant in Paediatric Palliative Care
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS - London U.K.
Franco De Conno MD.
Honorary Director EAPC
National Cancer Institute, Milano Italy
Leora Kuttner Ph.D. (Reg. Psyc)
Clinical Psychologist & Clinical Professor of Pediatrics.
B.C. Children’s Hospital & University of British Columbia -Vancouver, BC, Canada
Chantal Wood M.D.
Consultant in Paediatric Pain and Palliative Care Pain Unit
Hôpital Robert Debré - Paris, France
Paolo Cornaglia Feraris M.D.
Scientific Director of the Maruzza Lefebvre D’Ovidio Foundation - Rome, Italy
Boris Zernikow, MD, PhD
Director of the Vodafone Foundation Institute of Children’s Pain Therapy and Pediatric Palliative Care, Children`s Hospital Datteln, Witten /Herdecke University - Datteln, Germany
Observers:
Prof. Vittorio Ventafridda
Scientific Director, Fondazione Floriani, Milan, Italy
Participation and funding
This task force is supported by:
- Maruzza Lefebvre D’Ovidio Foundation www.maruzza.org,
- the Livia Benini Foundation www.fondazione-livia-benini.org and
- the ‘No Pain for Children’ Association www.nopainforchildren.org
Contact
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the Task Force please contact the Taskforce Secretary at
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