Children with Complex Chronic Conditions

Abstract

Children with complex chronic conditions (CCCs) have lifelong care needs that benefit from the support of specialty pediatric palliative care (PPC) teams. These needs extend beyond expert medical care and care coordination. They also include helping families to share their values, compassionate communication about the tradeoffs regarding medical interventions, attentive multimodal symptom management, and a measure of comfort with uncertainty. Parents of children with CCCs can also utilize PPC teams to advocate for unmet needs, support them through emotions that come from ongoing grief/loss, and celebrate the milestones and joys of having a child with special needs. Integration of PPC with other ongoing services in the hospital and in the community can improve care for these children and their families.