Patients and families increasingly use mobile apps as a relaxation and distraction intervention for children with complex, chronic medical conditions in the waiting room setting or during inpatient hospitalizations; and yet, there is limited data on app quality assessment or review of these apps for level of engagement, functionality, aesthetics, or applicability for palliative pediatric patients. The pediatric palliative care study team searched smartphone application platforms for apps relevant to calming, relaxation, and mindfulness for pediatric and adolescent patients. Apps were reviewed using a systematic data extraction tool. Validated Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) scores were determined by two blinded reviewers. Apps were then characterized by infant, child, adolescent, and adult caregiver group categories. Reviewer discussion resulted in consensus. Sixteen of the 22 apps identified were included in the final analysis. The apps operated on either iOS or Android platforms. All were available in English with four available in Spanish. Apps featured a relaxation approach (12/16), soothing images (8/16), and breathing techniques (8/16). Mood and sleep patterns were the main symptoms targeted by apps. Provision of mobile apps resource summary has the potential to foster pediatric palliative care providers’ knowledge of app functionality and applicability as part of ongoing patient care.

All inpatient children receiving pediatric palliative care consults at a free-standing children’s hospital. To explore the impact of massage therapy on pediatric palliative care patients’ symptom burden and medication use pattern, to describe the impact of massage therapy on family caregiver distress, and to report on bedside nursing staff perception of massage therapy for children and their families. A 1-time point, single-center exploratory study offering 10-minute bedside massage to children receiving palliative care and 10-minute massage to their family caregivers. A total of 135 massages were provided to children and their caregivers. Difference in child Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability scale (FLACC) score was detectable (P < .0001) with the median (interquartile range [IQR]) before FLACC score being 2 (1-3) and after FLACC score being 0 (0-1). Difference in “as-needed” pain medication usage in the 24 hours before and after the massage was detectable (P = .0477). Median difference in family caregiver distress with massage was −3.0 (IQR = 2.0, P < .0001). Bedside nurses (100%) reported massage to be a meaningful way to care for their families and patients. Massage therapy is a potentially meaningful intervention for pediatric palliative care patients with noted impact on symptom burden, benefit to family caregivers, and acceptance by nursing staff.