Bring Together in the face of CHIP

Bære Sammen was in a meeting with the research network CHIP to discuss research on child palliation. CHIP (Children In Palliative Care) is an interdisciplinary research network based at OsloMet. The network has members from clinical practice, higher education, research and user representatives. In addition, national and international partners are associated with CHIP and in the various projects. Work is now underway, under the auspices of CHIP, to work out new applications for funding research in the area of child palliation. 

Project manager Eline Grelland Røkholt, Bodil Barslund, Tonje Broch and Anne Kristine Risvand Myrseth participated from Bære Sammen. They met Anette Winger and Heidi Holmen at OsloMet.  

Anne Kristine is a user representative in the network. The network meets 3 times per year, and for the meetings Anne Kristine prepares presentations, participates in discussions and contributes input to the development and implementation of research projects. She always has the family perspective as her starting point. 

We are glad that Anette and Heidi recognize the importance and value of having a close dialogue with those who know the needs best, and that they wanted a meeting with Bære Sammen. 

In the meeting, Anette and Heidi presented CHIP's focus areas, and talked about two of the projects. One project deals with the palliative child, siblings and parents' experiences. The second project, called CHIP Home Tec, is about health technology in home-based palliation for children. 

Eline shared experiences from the Løvemammaenes help service that follows families through Bære Sammen. She talked about the lack of legal certainty within health and within the Education Act, lack of bereavement support, and topics about siblings.  

We also talked about complicated grief, and about illness and functional variations in siblings and parents. Another topic was own challenges related to minority families. We also shared challenges about how cooperation with municipal bodies breaks down, and becomes an additional burden for families with seriously ill children.  

We thank you for a good meeting and look forward to the further research work.