Chinese and Belgian pediatricians’ perspectives toward pediatric palliative care: an online survey

Abstract Background As pediatricians play a vital role in pediatric palliative care (PPC), understanding their perspectives toward PPC is important. PPC is established for a long time in Belgium, but has a shorter tradition in China, although it is growing in the last decade. Sampling and comparing the perspectives of these pediatricians could be insightful for both countries. Therefore, we sampled and compared perspectives of pediatricians in China and Belgium toward PPC, and explored factors influencing their perspectives. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional online survey using the validated Pediatric Palliative Care Attitude Scale (PPCAS). Over a five-month period, we recruited pediatricians practicing in China (C) and Flanders (F), Belgium. Convenience sampling and snowballing were used. We analyzed data with descriptive statistics, and evaluated group differences with univariate, multivariate and correlation tests. Results 440 complete surveys were analyzed (F: 115; C: 325). Pediatricians in both regions had limited PPC experience (F: 2.92 ± 0.94; C: 2.76 ± 0.92). Compared to Flemish pediatricians, Chinese pediatricians perceived receiving less unit support (F: 3.42 ± 0.86; C: 2.80 ± 0.89); perceived PPC less important (F: 4.70 ± 0.79; C: 4.18 ± 0.94); and faced more personal obstacles while practicing PPC (F: 3.50 ± 0.76; C: 2.25 ± 0.58). Also, select socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., experiences caring for children with life-threatening condition and providing PPC) influenced pediatricians’ perspectives. Correlational analyses revealed that pediatricians’ PPC experiences significantly correlated with perceived unit support (ρF = 0.454; ρC=0.661). Conclusions Chinese pediatricians faced more barriers in practicing PPC. Expanding PPC experiences can influence pediatricians’ perspectives positively, which may be beneficial for the child and their family.