Tailoring support for parents of children in palliative care: Feasibility of the carer support needs assessment tool intervention paediatric in a Norwegian context.

BACKGROUND

Parents of children receiving palliative care often experience significant caregiving responsibilities and unmet support needs, emphasising the importance of systematic assessments and tailored interventions.

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the feasibility of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool Intervention Paediatric (CSNAT-I Paediatric) within a national unit for children's palliative care in Norway. It further explored the support needs of parents of children with severe neurological impairments, including neurometabolic conditions.

DESIGN

A non-randomised, multi-method feasibility study.

METHODS

Feasibility was examined across domains of acceptability, demand, implementation, practicality, integration, and adaptation. Cognitive interviews with parents (n=34) were conducted to examine acceptability and needs for adaptation. Overall feasibility from parents' perspectives were measured using an electronic questionnaire (n=12), and data on parents' support needs were extracted from the children's medical records. Intervention providers' perspectives on acceptability, demand, practicality, implementation and integration were explored in a focus group interview (n=6).

RESULTS

Parents found the CSNAT-I Paediatric acceptable and all domains of the assessment tool were considered relevant, although they suggested adaptations to better capture care coordination and the child's daytime activities. Parents' support needs were heterogeneous and often required action from multiple parties. Intervention providers viewed the CSNAT-I Paediatric as useful for tailoring services to families but identified practical and implementation challenges in following up on identified needs.

CONCLUSIONS

The CSNAT-I Paediatric is feasible in children's palliative care settings. Effective implementation requires interprofessional and intersectional collaboration among stakeholders to meet families' complex support needs, and further refinement could enhance its utility.