Survey highlights the need for specific interventions to reduce frequent conflicts between healthcare professionals providing paediatric end-of-life care

Aims This study explored how paediatric healthcare professionals experienced and coped with end-of-life conflicts and identified how to improve coping strategies. Methods A questionnaire was distributed to all 2300 professionals at a paediatric university hospital, covering the frequency of end-of-life conflicts, participants, contributing factors, resolution strategies, outcomes and the usefulness of specific institutional coping strategies. Results Of the 946 professionals (41%) who responded, 466 had witnessed or participated in paediatric end-of-life discussions: 73% said these had led to conflict, more frequently between professionals (58%) than between professionals and parents (33%). Frequent factors included professionals’ rotations, unprepared parents, emotional load, unrealistic parental expectations, differences in values and beliefs, parents’ fear of hastening death, precipitated situations and uncertain prognosis. Discussions with patients and parents and between professionals were the most frequently used coping strategies. Conflicts were frequently resolved by the time of death. Professionals mainly supported designating one principal physician and nurse for each patient, two-step interdisciplinary meetings – between professionals then with parents – postdeath ethics meetings, bereavement follow-up protocols and early consultations with paediatric palliative care and clinical ethics services. Conclusion End-of-life conflicts were frequent and predominantly occurred between healthcare professionals. Specific interventions could target most of the contributing factors.