Bridging Team Supports Families Through Home Visits
A cancer diagnosis and its treatment bring major changes to the daily lives of affected children, adolescents, and their families. Treatment often requires frequent outpatient clinic visits—one or two check-ups per week at a pediatric oncology clinic are not uncommon. Travel to and from the clinic, waiting times, and the appointments themselves can easily take up an entire day. For many families, this is an immense burden. The KiKHomeCare Bridging Team Project, in which the Pediatric Research Network is also involved, offers a solution.
Fewer Clinic Trips, More Precious Family Time!
As part of this project, qualified nurses visit young patients at home to perform check-ups such as blood tests or nursing care procedures. This spares families the hassle of frequent hospital trips—a great relief in daily life—and gives them back valuable time to spend together.
If any abnormalities are detected during a home visit, the nurses immediately consult the treating doctors, and if necessary, the child is seen at the clinic. Regular check-ups at the hospital still take place as required. The Network for the Care of Critically Ill Children and Adolescents e. V. runs the project in collaboration with:
- Pediatric Oncology Clinic at University Hospital Essen
- University Hospital Cologne
- Dortmund Clinic
- Pediatric Research Network
From 2018 to 2021, the Gert and Susanna Mayer Foundation supported the establishment of ambulatory bridge teams in the Ruhr region, North Rhine, and Bergisches Land. The project has been scientifically monitored on an ongoing basis.
The Impact
Between November 2019 and December 2022, the nursing teams carried out over 4,000 home visits for 475 children with cancer. Families were spared more than 100,000 kilometers of travel.
Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the project proved to be a great relief. The treatment of over 70 children was successfully carried out at home, significantly reducing infection risks.
Positive Feedback From Families
In 2021, in collaboration with Technical University Dortmund, we conducted interviews with parents of children cared for by the Bridging Team.
- All parents reported high satisfaction and said the project eased their daily lives.
- Families saved time by avoiding hospital trips and waiting times.
- Parents noted a significant reduction in psychological stress.
The results of the project were presented at the German Congress for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 2022 as a poster presentation and will be published as a scientific article in the journal Klinische Pädiatrie in March 2024.