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The views and opinions expressed in our blog series are those of the authors and are not necessarily supported by CareSearch, Flinders University and/or the Australian Government Department of Health.
Children’s palliative care shares many of the principles of palliative care that is provided to adults. However, there are unique aspects of the care provided in looking after a child with a life limiting illness. This includes children diagnosed with cancer and non-cancer diagnoses from infancy to young adulthood. We are also providing this care working with the children’s family (parents, siblings, grandparents) and the broader community (including schools). The goal of our project is to deliver education in paediatric palliative care in areas outside of the metropolitan centres of Australia, and in all states and territories of Australia. This reflects the geographic diversity of Australia, with many patients living outside of capital cities, and also large distances between centres. The anticipated outcome of this education is greater confidence of health professionals to care for dying children, and improved quality of care.