Background: Globally, an estimated eight million children could benefit from palliative care
each year. Effective communication about children with life-limiting conditions is well
recognized as a critical component of high-quality pediatric palliative care. Objective: To
synthesize existing qualitative research exploring healthcare users' experiences of
communicating with healthcare professionals about children with life-limiting conditions.
Design: The results of a systematic literature search were screened independently by two …

Background The prospect of the death of a child from an incurable medical condition is
harrowing, yet finding a way to discuss this prospect is crucial to maximize the quality of life
for such children and their families. High-quality communication is well recognized as a core
skill health care professionals need to maximize the quality of care they provide. 1-15 This
skill is valued by service users, who consistently rate it as one of the highest priorities for the
care they receive. 5-8, 15 Evidence suggests, however, that healthcare professionals can …