Author: Alex Daniels, Educations Manager, ICPCN.
Introduction
Access to high-quality education in children’s palliative care is essential to improving outcomes for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and to supporting their families. Despite growing recognition of this need, substantial gaps in training remain, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access to specialist services is often limited. The International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) has sought to respond to this challenge through a global education programme that combines online learning, live webinars, and face-to-face training. Designed to be accessible, flexible, and relevant across diverse practice settings, the programme aims to strengthen professional knowledge and confidence while building capacity for children’s palliative care worldwide. This article presents a concise evaluation of the programme, focusing on its reach, perceived impact, and contribution to service development.
Purpose of evaluation
The evaluation was undertaken to assess the influence of ICPCN’s global education programme on participants’ knowledge, confidence, and clinical practice, and to identify opportunities to strengthen the design and delivery of future educational provision. It also aimed to explore the programme’s contribution to wider service development in children’s palliative care across different countries and professional settings.
Methods
A mixed-methods evaluation design was used, drawing on data collected through an online questionnaire. The survey was completed by 2,496 participants who had engaged with the programme between 2020 and 2025, enabling analysis of both quantitative responses and qualitative feedback. This approach provided insight not only into who the programme reached, but also into how participants perceived its influence on their knowledge, confidence, and day-to-day practice.
Key findings
A total of 219 responses were received from participants across 54 countries, representing all six WHO regions. More than 70% of respondents were ICPCN members. The largest numbers of responses came from Ghana (64), the United Kingdom (30), Kenya (19), and India (18), indicating strong engagement across both high-income and resource-constrained settings. Respondents represented a wide range of professional backgrounds, although nurses formed the largest group (46%), followed by doctors (23%). Participants also worked across diverse care environments, with hospitals representing the most common setting (63%). Together, these findings demonstrate the programme’s broad international reach across multiple professional and service contexts.
Preliminary findings indicate meaningful improvements in participants’ knowledge, confidence, and reported clinical practice following engagement with the programme. Respondents described greater ability to communicate with children and families, improved understanding of pain and symptom management, and stronger confidence in advocating for palliative care within their workplaces. The findings also suggest that learning was translated into practice, with increased integration of palliative care principles into routine paediatric services and improved experiences for patients and families.
Quotes:
“It helped me communicate with more empathy, clarity, and respect for the complexity of pediatric palliative care”.
‘Reassured my perspective that I am taking care of a human, with values, goals, families, core desires; not just a patient with cancer.’
“It has been a great experience that has deepened my understanding of patients and informed my approach to care. I now deliver care in a way that incorporates patients’ desires and suggestions, as well as input from their relatives”.
“The training deepened my understanding of pain management and improved my communication with children and their families. It has also boosted my confidence to
advocate for palliative care in my workplace and train others. Overall, it has made me a more empathetic, knowledgeable, and effective caregiver, even in resource-limited settings”.
‘It has made me understand patients better. It has made me incorporate patients and their relatives in their management. Has made me incorporate the religious believes of patients in their management.’
’The main problem is personnel. Generally, there is a low staff number with a high duty burden. This discourages people from involving themselves fully in palliative care.’
Conclusion:
ICPCN’s global education programme makes an important contribution to the development of children’s palliative care by equipping health and social care professionals with knowledge, practical skills, and increased confidence to improve care delivery. Its blended model of online modules, webinars, and face-to-face training offers a flexible and scalable approach to workforce development, particularly in settings where access to specialist education is limited. The evaluation suggests that the programme’s impact extends beyond individual learning, supporting wider changes in clinical practice, local advocacy, and service strengthening. Continued investment in accessible, high-quality education of this kind will be essential to expanding the global reach of children’s palliative care and ensuring that all children and families receive the support they need.