First web lecture on complementary care within pediatric palliative care a fact.
The Knowledge Center for Palliative Care for Children, together with the Van Praag Institute, the Netherlands Child Cancer Association and the Juliana Children's Hospital, has developed the very first web lecture about complementary care within child palliative care!
In mid-2020, the Knowledge Center for Palliative Care for Children was asked by teacher Ingrid de Lijser of Leiden University of Applied Sciences to provide education on complementary care for children who are palliative for the HBO Nursing course. Because there is still relatively little knowledge and information available about complementary care within pediatric palliative care, this was a good reason to start making this knowledge available. For example, in close collaboration with Martine Busch (Van Praag Institute), Tessa van Gastel and Juul Coumans (Association of Children's Cancer Netherlands) and Dr. Els Peeters (Juliana Children's Hospital The Hague), a first lesson on complementary care in pediatric palliative care was given shape.
What is Complementary Care?
Mindfulness, hypnotherapy, yoga, vitamins, supplements, reiki, massage, acupuncture. These are all examples of complementary care, which are increasingly being used. Complementary means additional. Patients mainly opt for it on their own initiative, but hospitals are increasingly offering it as an addition to the usual care: hypnotherapy for abdominal complaints, music for operations, mindfulness for depression. Usually this is done to support the treatment, for example to reduce complaints such as pain, anxiety, fatigue and restlessness or to improve the quality of life. Nowadays you come across the term 'integrative medicine', which indicates that complementary care is more integrated in the treatment.
What does the web lecture entail?
The web lecture starts with a short introduction to pediatric palliative care, followed by theory about complementary care by the Van Praag Institute. This is followed by an explanation of the Complementary Care Selection Aid of the Netherlands Child Cancer Association and the web lecture concludes with the section 'in practice'. This is an interview with pediatric neurologist Dr. Els Peeters of the Juliana Children's Hospital about the working method of the Intergrative Medicine Child Advice Clinic (IMKI outpatient clinic). Below you will find more information about the various lesson components.
Lesson component: theory about complementary care
Parents of children who are seriously ill often look for complementary treatment options in addition to the existing treatment. 'From vitamins and supplements to homeopathy and relaxation techniques such as massage or mindfulness,' says Martine Busch of the Van Praag Institute. 'This is to relieve side effects of the existing treatment, to alleviate complaints such as pain and anxiety or to better deal with the stress of being ill. But how do you find a suitable form of complementary care and a reliable practitioner? What works and what doesn't? What is and what is not safe? How do you discuss the desire to combine regular and complementary?'. In the web lecture, Martine Busch links the above to the theory of complementary care for aspiring healthcare professionals.
Lesson component: decision aid Complementary Care
The Dutch Child Cancer Association has developed the lesson component on 'Choice Aid Complementary Care' with great attention and involvement. The Complementary Care Selection Aid was previously developed by the association, because parents of a child with cancer often end up with forms of complementary care when they start looking for solutions to reduce complaints during or after treatment. There is a lot of information available, but it is not always clear how reliable that information is. The 'Choice Aid Complementary Care' provides transparent and evidence-based information about complementary care to parents of children with cancer, but is also valuable for children with other serious conditions.
'We are pleased with the excellent cooperation that has been sought by the Knowledge Center for Pediatric Palliative Care. Because this information is useful for all children with difficult to treat or incurable conditions and we want as many children and parents as possible to have the best possible quality of life, especially in the palliative phase.'
- Juul Coumans, board member of the Netherlands Child Cancer Association
Lesson component: integrative medicine in practice
The Integrative Medicine Children's Advice Outpatient Clinic (IMKI outpatient clinic) of the Juliana Children's Hospital was founded because parents of chronically ill children have many questions about additional treatments and what they can do themselves. This is because they often run up against the limits of regular medicine. Complementary care is one of the four pillars of Integrative medicine and can have a positive influence on the well-being of a child.
'Integrative medicine should be integrated much more into pediatric palliative care. The Guideline already contains a great deal that fits under integrative medicine; making more joint decisions, looking at the possibilities of the child and a good environment and lifestyle, in the form of possible alternative or complementary forms of therapy. This must be proven and safe and comply with the rules of conduct and I think there is still a lot to be done there'.
- dr. Els Peters, Integrative Medicine Child Advice Clinic, Juliana Children's Hospital
Interested?
Are you interested in the web lecture on complementary care for your own study programme? Please contact Marjolein Koot.
1. Integrative medicine has 4 pillars:
1. Patient-doctor relationship, based on partnership (doctor as coach) and self-management
2. Prevention and well-being, nutrition, lifestyle, stress reduction and sleep
3. Attention to the healthy living environment
4. Combines regular medicine with complementary / complementary therapies if proven effective and safe