Adolescent and Young Adults

Many Palliative Care clinicians involved in the care of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) report feeling underskilled in recognizing the needs of such a relatively small patient population.This study originated as an educational needs assessment for Palliative Care Clinicians to facilitate greater recognition of their own educational needs in what was otherwise skilled and confident group of clinicians. Many clinicians reported difficulty around translating education into clinical practice with such a dearth of AYA patient caseloads. It always felt like they were starting over again. Palliative Care Clinicians working with AYA patients however report feeling challenged again when attempting to transfer that clinical knowledge into clinical practice within the complexity of caring for a patient population with minimal opportunity to develop clinical confidence. This study suggests the importance of a broad based approach to collaborative and creative models of care as a means of informing clinical practice. This study will use a case study and qualitative analysis to recognize the stress for both clinicians and patients around caring for AYA patients at end of life. The role of the AYA multidisciplinary group will feature as a way for clinicians to gain credibility in this patient population through a process of referral patterns and peer support.