When to stop? Decision-making when children’s cancer treatment is no longer curative: a mixed-method systematic review

BMC Pediatrics

Miguel Bedolla²  Jane Noyes¹  Edith Valdez-Martinez³ 

[1] School of Healthcare Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2EF, UK;Policy Studies Centre of the University, San Antonio TX, USA;Health Research Council of the Mexican Institute of Social Security, Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI. Av. Cuauhtemoc # 330. Col. Doctores. C.P, Mexico 06720 D,F, Mexico

关键词: Systematic review;    Decision-making;    End-of-life;    Professional;    Parents;    Young people;    Children;    Palliative care;    Cancer;   

Others  :  1138860
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2431-14-124

 received in 2013-08-13, accepted in 2014-05-01,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

Children with cancer, parents, and clinicians, face difficult decisions when cure is no longer possible. Little is known about decision-making processes, how agreement is reached, or perspectives of different actors. Professionals voice concerns about managing parental expectations and beliefs, which can be contrary to their own and may change over time. We conducted the first systematic review to determine what constitutes best medico-legal practice for children under 19 years as context to exploring the perspectives of actors who make judgements and decisions when cancer treatment is no longer curative.

Methods

Theory-informed mixed-method thematic systematic review with theory development.

Results

Eight legal/ethical guidelines and 18 studies were included. Whilst there were no unresolved dilemmas, actors had different perspectives and motives. In line with guidelines, the best interests of the individual child informed decisions, although how different actors conceptualized ‘best interests’ when treatment was no longer curative varied. Respect for autonomy was understood as following child/parent preferences, which varied from case to case. Doctors generally shared information so that parents alone could make an informed decision. When parents received reliable information, and personalized interest in their child, they were more likely to achieve shared trust and clearer transition to palliation. Although under-represented in research studies, young people’s perspectives showed some differences to those of parents and professionals. For example, young people preferred to be informed even when prognosis was poor, and they had an altruistic desire to help others by participating in research.

Conclusion

There needs to be fresh impetus to more effectively and universally implement the ethics of professionalism into daily clinical practice in order to reinforce humanitarian attitudes. Ethical guidelines and regulations attempt to bring professionals together by articulating shared values. While important, ethics training must be supported by institutions/organizations to assist doctors to maintain good professional standards. Findings will hopefully stimulate further normative and descriptive lines of research in this complex under-researched field. Future research needs to be undertaken through a more deliberative cultural lens that includes children’s and multi-disciplinary team members’ perspectives to more fully characterize and understand the dynamics of the decision-making process in this specific end-of life context.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Valdez-Martinez et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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