Telemedicine Approaches in Pediatric Palliative Care
This project explores the multifaceted journey of children with life-limiting illnesses and their families, emphasizing the need for holistic, family-centered palliative care that integrates emotional, psychological, and spiritual support, with the goal of enhancing care through telemedicine.
Project Details
Clients: Erasmus MC
Tags: Paediatric Palliative Care
Client Website: https://www.erasmusmc.nl/nl-nl/
Let’s Work Together
The Story
A child diagnosed with a life-limiting illness enters a complex and challenging reality shaped by medical interventions, hospital visits, and difficult conversations. Beyond the clinical aspects of treatment, there is a deeply human dimension, one that encompasses the psychological, social, and existential experience of confronting mortality. Understanding how children and their families process and navigate this journey, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually, is crucial for advancing paediatric palliative care.
For children, palliative care is inherently family-centered, acknowledging that serious illness affects not only the child but also parents, siblings, and loved ones. It involves open and sensitive discussions about quality of life, prognosis, and hope, while integrating physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual support.
By addressing these interconnected aspects, our project seeks to lay a foundation for potential telemedicine-based support that enhances accessibility, continuity of care, and holistic well-being for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families.
Our Project
This pro-bono-based project explores the potential role of telemedicine in paediatric palliative care, examining how it can enhance accessibility and quality of care for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families. Paediatric palliative care involves not only medical interventions but also psychological, social, and existential support, all of which must be carefully integrated to ensure the best possible quality of life for both patients and their loved ones.
One key area of investigation is how telemedicine can expand access to specialized palliative care. Many families face significant logistical and financial barriers when seeking expert support, particularly in remote or underserved areas. Virtual consultations could provide a means of connecting families with paediatric palliative care specialists, facilitating multidisciplinary collaboration, and ensuring that expertise is available regardless of location.
This project could also serve as a model for similar studies in adult palliative care, where telemedicine could help bridge gaps in care for patients with terminal illnesses. Exploring how technology can assist in delivering holistic care could have broad implications, improving the quality of life for patients and families across various stages of illness.