This initiative aims to strengthen 24/7 care, improve coordination between different care levels, and provide support to families across Euskadi. Iratxe Salcedo, Head of Pediatrics at Osakidetza, highlighted that a primary care pediatrician typically attends to about seven patients daily with "life-limiting or life-threatening pathologies" and nearly 50 with highly complex chronic conditions.
Data from the Basque Government underscores the necessity of this reinforcement: minors with complex chronic pathologies constitute 6.8% of the pediatric population, and approximately 90 out of every 10,000 require palliative care. These patients account for 20% of pediatric hospitalizations, over half of ICU stays, and 80% of hospital deaths.
“"According to the Head of Pediatrics, "HaurSare is not only created for the care of children in need of palliative care."
The HaurSare network has a dual ambition. On one hand, it is expected to help approximately 30 children and adolescents annually choose to pass away at home, providing family support wherever they are. On the other hand, the project extends beyond end-of-life care, seeking to improve the follow-up of patients with highly complex pathologies. Thanks to this, an estimated 200 to 300 minors per year could benefit from "more robust, closer, and specialized" 24/7 continuous care.
The network will feature multidisciplinary hospital teams in the four reference Integrated Health Organizations: Cruces University Hospital, Basurto University Hospital, Donostia University Hospital, and Araba University Hospital. Furthermore, the new project incorporates a crucial element to enhance coordination and continuity of care: the case manager nurse for complex chronicity and pediatric palliative care. This professional will lead the management of complex cases, provide advanced home care, and serve as a link between the hospital, primary care, family, school, and social services.
