Progress in Perinatal Palliative Care: Advancements and Opportunities (FR203)

• Published in: Journal of pain and symptom management 2022-05, Vol.63 (5), p.801-802
• Main Authors: Denney-Koelsch, Erin, Cote-Arsenault, Denise, Kobler, Kathie, Kirch, Rebecca, Gupton, Alyssa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access; Advocacy; Care coordinators; Clinical research; College faculty; Families & family life; Feasibility; Genetics; Gynecology; Health care; Health services; Infants; Interdisciplinary aspects; Maternal and infant welfare; Measurement; Medicine; Needs; Neonatology; News; Obstetrics; Palliative care; Parents & parenting; Perinatal care; Prenatal care; Psychological safety; Social systems; Strategies; Teams; Telemedicine; Trauma
• ISSN: 0885-3924; 1873-6513
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.02.239

Outcomes 1. Describe 2 components of evidence-based clinical approaches to caring for parents facing life-limiting fetal conditions 2. List 3 roles and responsibilities of the expert perinatal palliative care coordinator within the healthcare system and with the family 3. Explain 2 barriers and strategies for perinatal palliative care advancement within the broader healthcare system Perinatal palliative care (PeriPC) is expanding to address comprehensive needs of 100,000 US families per year confronting traumatic news that their baby has a life-limiting fetal or neonatal condition. The emerging body of evidence, responsive book publications, and launch of AAHPM's new Perinatal Community are indicators of the growing commitment to improving quality and equitable access to services for all families who would benefit. Our session will feature the current state of the field and highlight opportunities to advance clinical, systems, research, policy, and social initiatives that can spur additional PeriPC action. Faculty draw from an interdisciplinary group of clinicians, researchers, and policy advocates that contributed chapter content in Perinatal Palliative Care: A Clinical Guide (Denney-Koelsch and Côté-Arsenault, eds.), detailing specific needs and strategies for advancing PeriPC. Our interactive session approach will review evidence-based clinical approaches and strategies, with emphasis on fostering trusting relationships, the importance of skilled and empathic communication, and the critical role of the PeriPC coordinator. We will present our research findings from PeriPC coordinator expert interviews about their knowledge, skills, roles, guiding principles, and goal of “creating a safe space” that fosters prenatal parenting. As PeriPC plays a critical health system role bridging with other interdisciplinary teams in obstetrics, neonatology, genetics, palliative care, and many subspecialties, we will discuss feasibility of telehealth, improving service access, and PeriPC's relationship with medical advances in maternal, fetal, and neonatal care. We will also discuss the upcoming needs of the field, including future PeriPC research directions, addressing gaps in existing evidence and PeriPC measurement tools, and opportunities to overcome policy and practice challenges by using effective advocacy to cultivate awareness, collaboration, and funding.