BACKGROUND Health care providers' perception of pediatric palliative care might negatively influence timely implementation. The aim of the study was to examine understanding of and attitudes towards pediatric palliative care from the perspective of health care providers working in pediatric oncology in Switzerland to promote the timely implementation of pediatric palliative care. METHODS Five mixed focus groups were conducted with 29 health care providers (oncologists, nurses, psychologists, and social workers) at five Swiss pediatric oncology group centers. The focus group interviews were analyzed using thematic coding. RESULTS Most participants associated pediatric palliative care with non-curative treatment. They regularly reported difficulties in addressing palliative care services to families due to the strong stigma surrounding this term. They also thought that the notion of palliative care is very much linked to a policy context, and difficult to reconcile with children's everyday life. To overcome these obstacles many participants used synonyms such as comfort or supportive care. A few providers insisted on the need of using palliative care and reported the importance of positive "word of mouth". CONCLUSIONS The use of synonyms might be a pragmatic approach to overcome initial barriers to the implementation of palliative care in pediatrics. However, this tactic might ultimately prove to be ineffective as these terms might acquire the same negative connotations as palliative care. Positive word-of-mouth by satisfied families and healthcare providers might be a more sustainable way to advocate for pediatric palliative care than replacing it with a euphemistic term.

中文翻译：

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儿科姑息治疗的概念性理解：瑞士医疗保健的观点。

背景技术卫生保健提供者对小儿姑息治疗的看法可能会对及时实施产生负面影响。该研究的目的是从瑞士儿科肿瘤科的医疗服务提供者的角度研究对儿科姑息治疗的理解和态度，以促进及时实施儿科姑息治疗。方法在五个瑞士小儿肿瘤科中心，与29位医疗保健提供者（肿瘤学家，护士，心理学家和社会工作者）进行了五个混合焦点小组的讨论。使用主题编码对焦点小组的访谈进行了分析。结果大多数参与者将小儿姑息治疗与非治愈性治疗相关联。他们经常报告称，由于这个词周围的污名化，在向家庭提供姑息治疗服务方面存在困难。他们还认为，姑息治疗的概念与政策环境密切相关，难以与儿童的日常生活相协调。为了克服这些障碍，许多参与者使用了诸如舒适或支持性护理之类的同义词。一些提供者坚持使用姑息治疗的必要性，并报告了积极的“口口相传”的重要性。结论使用同义词可能是一种实用的方法，可以克服在儿科实施姑息治疗的最初障碍。但是，这种策略最终可能被证明是无效的，因为这些术语可能获得与姑息治疗相同的负面含义。