Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Medicine Competencies Project
In 2006, Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) became an officially-recognized subspecialty. The Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) then initiated an Outcomes Project in HPM through which a group of expert clinician-educators in HPM defined the initial competency-based outcomes for HPM fellows (updated as the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Competencies - version 2.3). From the start, it was recognized that additional expertise in Pediatric HPM would be necessary. In response, a group of Pediatric HPM experts (Drs. Sarah Friebert, Nancy Hutton, Jeffrey C. Klick, Kaci Osenga, Kenneth Pituch, Tamara Vesel and Norbert Weidner) defined specific Pediatric HPM Competencies.
For now, the Pediatric HPM competencies are specific to the Pediatric HPM subspecialists and should be integrated into their training. They have been published in the most recent issue of Pediatrics. Moving forward, they will serve a foundational role in HPM and inform a wide range of emerging innovations including the HPM curricular milestones, EPA's, and the training of Adult HPM and other pediatric subspecialists. With continued evolution of the field, they may also ultimately inform outcome measures for pediatric palliative care patients together with standards of practice and performance for pediatric HPM interdisciplinary teams.
Resources
Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Medicine Competencies
Comparison Tool of Pediatric HPM and Original HPM Competencies Side-by-side
Developing Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Medicine Competencies (Article in Pediatrics)