Pediatric Palliative Care In the News: Diversity of Patients Documents, Illinois Seeks Waiver

• A study documenting the diversity of pediatric palliative care patients was recently published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Using data from six large programs showed that ". . . patients with genetic and congenital conditions accounted for the largest numbers, but a substantial proportion had neuromuscular, respiratory, or gastrointestinal conditions, as well as cancer." Researcher Chris Feudtner, M.D., Ph.D., of Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, reported the findings at the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine meeting last week.
  

  The analysis included 511 patients, 35.2% of whom were new to the programs and 64.8% of whom were established patients.
  
  About 54% of the patients were male, 70% were white, and 57% had public insurance. Most of the patients were either 1 to 9 years old (37.2%) or 10-to-18 years (30.1%). However, patient age ranged from less than 1 month (4.7%) to 19 years or older (15.5%).

• Illinois is seeking to join the states of California, Florida, and Colorado* in receiving a federal waiver to offer pediatric palliative care to Medicaid patients, without requiring them to forgo curative treatments. A bill to start a pilot project has passed the Illinois Senate <