Our commitment
The Canuck Place Children’s Hospice Research Initiative (Research Initiative) is part of a national, interdisciplinary network of clinicians and researchers. Through this initiative, we aim to improve the quality of care for children, youth, and their families living with serious illnesses. We do this by supporting Canuck Place clinicians and clinicians worldwide to conduct pediatric palliative care research and put those findings into practice.
What is pediatric palliative care research?
Pediatric palliative care research studies how to best care for children and youth living with serious illnesses by building evidence to guide treatment, manage symptoms, and support quality of life for both the child and their family.
Pediatric palliative care differs from adult care, with different conditions, approaches to care, and trajectory.
That’s why our research focuses on studies that follow children with serious illnesses over time, to track patterns, causes, distribution of conditions in the population, and outcomes of care. It also looks at how pain and symptoms are assessed and managed, and how non-verbal children with neurological impairment experience care.
Research projects
Our six core research projects focus on advancing pediatric palliative care by contributing knowledge that helps to build a stronger, more responsive system of care for children with serious illnesses.
Canuck Place Research Initiative team
Pediatric palliative care research is evolving, and we have a unique model where the Canuck Place research team sees all the patients in the program.
Canuck Place clinicians conduct and share research with provincial, national, and global audiences. By actively engaging in research, we are able to support the children and families in our care.
Funding research advances care
Thanks to the support of Canuck Place donors, the Research Initiative supports five to 10 research students and supports and leads up to 10 research projects. Support impacts pediatric palliative care for many years to come, with the first beneficiaries being families in BC and the Yukon.
Questions? Find an answer here.
We recognize you may have a lot of questions. See the answers to our FAQs below.
