J Pain Symptom Manage. A virtual children's hospice in response to COVID-19: The Scottish experience

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J Pain Symptom Manage. 2020 May 13. pii: S0885-3924(20)30387-0. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.05.011. [Epub ahead of print]
A virtual children's hospice in response to COVID-19: The Scottish experience.


Ellis K¹, Lindley LC².

Author information




Abstract

This case report describes a pediatric hospice provider in Scotland and their experience implementing a telehospice program in response to COVID-19. Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) is the only provider of pediatric hospice care in the entire of Scotland, and we describe their experience offering pediatric telehospice. CHAS had strategically planned to implement telehospice, but COVID-19 accelerated the process. The organization evaluated its pediatric clinical and wrap-around hospice services and rapidly migrated them to a virtual environment. They creatively added new services to meet the unique needs of the entire family, who were caring for a child at end of life during COVID-19. CHAS's experience highlights the planning and implementing processes of telehospice with key lessons learned, while acknowledging the challenges inherent in using technology to deliver hospice care.
Copyright ? 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.



KEYWORDS:

COVID-19; Coronavirus; pediatric end of life; pediatric hospice care; telehospice


PMID:32416232DOI:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2020.05.011