Pediatric Palliative care: Evaluation of knowledge, experience and confidence among physicians in a university outpatient setting

Background Pediatric Palliative Care (PPC) is essential for improving the quality of life of children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions and their families. Despite its growing relevance, PPC remains underexplored in medical education and clinical practice, particularly among general pediatricians. Objective This study aims to describe and analyze physicians' knowledge of Pediatric Palliative Care and identify gaps to improve the provision of such care. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The study population included physicians affiliated with the Department of Pediatrics at an undergraduate institution. Results A total of 74 completed questionnaires were analyzed. Although 88% of participants had cared for terminally ill pediatric patients, 65% reported having little or no experience in PPC. Furthermore, 86.5% had not received any formal education on PPC during their undergraduate training. While a majority felt comfortable discussing chronic disease diagnoses (59%) and participating in multidisciplinary PPC discussions (57%), many expressed limited confidence in key areas: explaining PPC to families (72%), managing pediatric pain (81%), performing pain assessment and treatment in terminally ill patients (84%), adopting a holistic psychological approach (77%), and communicating bad news or planning palliative care (70%). Conclusion The findings reveal a significant self-perceived lack of training and preparedness among pediatricians regarding PPC, despite frequent clinical encounters with patients requiring such care. These results underscore the urgent need to integrate structured PPC education into pediatric training programs to enhance the quality and effectiveness of care provided.