Planning for Paediatric Palliative Care Services: Characteristics, demographics and health needs of children and young people with life-limiting conditions in Queensland

The objectives of this study are to:

• understand the population by determining the prevalence and incidence of life-limiting conditions in Queensland children and young people aged 0 to 21 years;
• identify the clinical and demographic characteristics of this population to provide a geographical context and profile of the current health status;
• identify the health needs of life-limited children, young people and their families and what influences health needs from individual, family and professional perspectives;
• identify health service needs and contributing influences, in relation to this population; and
• synthesise findings to give a deeper understanding and context to the scale of the problem and to identify potential priority areas for consideration in future health service planning. To achieve this, a detailed examination using a range of data sources will be undertaken to identify the clinical and demographic characteristics of this population, and the nature, scope and configuration of current paediatric palliative care health services in Queensland, Australia.