Costs of Care and Location of Death in Community-Based Pediatric Palliative Care.

Children with complex chronic conditions (CCCs) are dying at home with increased frequency, yet the number of studies on the financial feasibility of community-based pediatric palliative care is limited. The objectives of this study were to (1) describe characteristics of patients who died in a community-based palliative care program and (2) evaluate cost differences associated with participant characteristics and location of death. A retrospective cohort analysis of administrative and electronic medical record data was employed.

End-of-life care for children enrolled in a community-based pediatric palliative care program.

Background: Despite recent strides in pediatric palliative care (PPC), there are few published data on community-based care of dying children.

Objective: Our aim was to describe end-of-life care during the last 6 months of life for children on a community-based PPC program.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of children <21 years old who died while enrolled in a community-based PPC program (CompassionNet) from December 2004 through May 2008.