Development of a Pediatric Palliative Care Model based on the Perspectives of Iranian Medical Personnel

The pediatric palliative care (PPC) includes active care of the child's body, soul, and mind, as well as family support. The purpose of this study was to develop a model for providing pediatric palliative care based on the point of views of the Irania nurses and the physicians in Iran. The objective of this descriptive analytic study was to develop a model for PPC and to confirm each of the factors presented in the model. Factor analysis was performed using Keizer-Meier (KMO) and Bartlett (BT) tests. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to measure the necessity of providing PPC services. This questionnaire contained 28 questions in three areas or factors (9 items about the children, 12 items related to the family issues, and 7 items related to national health), and the statistical analysis was done by using SPSS 21. The item "Attention to moral concepts in dealing with the family at the family level" had the highest mean score (4.4±0.28). The items "Trying to have a peaceful death in the end stages of life in the child's area" and "Benefiting from equal palliative services at the national level", respectively with average scores of 4.2±0.52 and 4.1±0.4 in the ranks, at the second and third of this necessity. The PPC model was developed based on the results of this questionnaire. According to the result of the questionnaire items used in this study, the palliative care necessity model was developed. It is also concluded that providing PPC in Iran is necessary.