Abstract

Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC) has been shown to relieve suffering for children with chronic and/or terminal illnesses, improve their quality of life, and help their families make decisions concerning treatments and care. However, hospitals and medical centers, including pediatric hospitals, have been slow, if not outright resistant, to establishing PPC programs. This brief report focuses on interviews with 20 individuals who had a connection to PPC as a parent, caregiver, previous PPC patient (but now an adult), clinician, or administrator to examine whether or not they believed PPC was needed in a specific region of the Northeastern United States. Interviews revealed that resistance and hesitance centered on costs, physician reimbursement, and a misunderstanding what PPC actually involves.