Call for Abstracts

At the heart of the 4th ICPCN International Conference is the opportunity for professionals and researchers from across the globe and from all cadres and stages of career development to share and learn from each other. We warmly invite you to submit your abstracts, whether you are showcasing innovative service developments and evaluation, sharing experiences of children and families or sharing the outcomes of pilot studies or ongoing research projects.

Please read the submission guidelines and important dates below. All abstracts will be reviewed blind by a team of international reviewers.

There will be three types of presentations:

Oral presentation
Workshop (between 1-1.5 hours)
Poster

We have also provided some guidance on what makes a good abstract. You can say which type of presentation you would prefer but it will be up to the abstract reviewers as to the type of presentation that you get. Please note that the abstract reviewers decision is final.

We aim to let you know if your abstract has been successful during the week commencing 14th July 2025.

Important dates

1 April 2025 – Abstract submissions open
31 May 2025 – Abstract submissions deadline
w/c 14 July 2025 – Abstract notification of acceptance
31 August 2025 – Early Bird registration deadline
1 November 2025 – Conference registration closes

Themes

You will need to submit your abstract under one of the following themes:

Milestones in Children’s Palliative Care
Clinical Horizons: Advances in Care and Treatment
Psychosocial, Emotional and Spiritual Well-being
Expanding Access and Equity in Children’s Palliative Care
Ethics, Decision-Making, and Family-Centered Care
Advancing Research in Children’s Palliative Care
The Future of Children’s Palliative Care

More details on Themes

1.
Milestones in Children's Palliative Care

Evolution of Children’s Palliative Care
Integrating Palliative Care into Paediatric Healthcare Systems
Engagement of children and families in service development, delivery and education
Global Perspectives: Lessons from Around the World
The Power of Storytelling

2.
Clinical Horizons: Advances in Care and Treatment

Innovations and Key Achievements in Paediatric Pain Management and Symptom Control
Emerging Therapies and Technologies in Palliative Care
Neonatal and Perinatal Palliative Care Developments
Managing Complex and Rare Paediatric Conditions
Adolescents, Young Adults and Transitions
Provision of Children’s Palliative Care in Humanitarian Crises and Fragile Settings

3.
Psychosocial, Emotional and Spiritual Well-being and Culture

Supporting Families: Mental Health and Bereavement Care
The Role of Play, Art, and Music Therapy in Palliative Care
Addressing the Emotional Needs of Siblings and Caregivers
Cultural and Spiritual Considerations in End-of-Life Care
Trauma Informed Children’s Palliative Care

4.
Expanding Access and Equity in Children's Palliative Care

Bridging the Gap: Ensuring Access in Low-Resource Settings
Policy and Advocacy for Universal Children’s Palliative Care
Telemedicine and Digital Solutions for Reaching More Children
Developing the Leaders of the Future
Training and Capacity Building for Healthcare Providers

5.
Ethics, Decision-Making, and Family-Cantered Care

Navigating Difficult Conversations with Families
Ethical Dilemmas in Children’s Palliative Care
Shared Decision-Making: A Collaborative Approach
The Role of Advance Care Planning

6.
Advancing Research in Children’s Palliative Care

Developing research and the evidence-base for children’s palliative care
Collaborative research practices and programmes
Innovations in research in children’s palliative care
Impact of children’s palliative care research
Engagement of children and families in children’s palliative care research.
Strengthening and Utilisation of Research in LMICs

7.
The Future of Children's Palliative Care

Research and Innovation: What’s Next in the Field?
AI and Digital Health in Children’s Palliative Care
Strengthening Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Approaches and Collaboration
Building Sustainable Models for Long-Term Impact

Submission guidelines

If your abstract is accepted it is important to register to attend the conference by 30th September. If you have not registered by this date, your abstract will not be published in the abstract book. 

Abstracts can only be submitted online through our dedicated abstract platform. Abstracts submitted by email will not be accepted.
Abstracts must be submitted in English. UK or US spelling is permitted, and you should be consistent throughout your text. Abstracts must not exceed 300 words.
The presenting author of an accepted abstract must register to attend the congress by 31st July.
The number of abstracts you can submit is unlimited however, presenting authors may present a maximum of 2 accepted abstracts.
Once all abstracts have been scored and the accept/reject decisions made, we will then inform those authors who are listed as the presenting authors on more than 2 abstracts (poster and oral), that they need to allocate another presenting author.
Abstracts should contain only original content that has not been previously published or presented elsewhere.
By submitting an abstract the first author (= presenter) warrants that at the time of submission the material has not been previously published or presented in any publication or other scientific congress. If accepted, the presentation must present original work. If the work has been presented or published elsewhere between submission and presentation, this must be acknowledged and the work presented should be distinctively different such that it is an original contribution to the proceedings.
Abstracts will be published as submitted.  
Presenter changes are allowed and should be made in the submission portal.
All sections of the online abstract submission system must be completed. Incomplete abstracts will not be considered for review.  
Authors can edit their submission up to the deadline of 31st May 2025
The abstract text, including the title, must not contain any information about the presenters or the institutions involved, this is to facilitate the blind review process.
Drugs should be referred to by the generic name.
Illustrations, tables and graphs are not allowed, and it is not expected that the abstract will contain references
Authors can select their preferred presentation type, however the decision of the scientific committee will be final.  
Please note that by submitting your abstract you are confirming that the abstract has not been presented at another conference, and that you have ethical approval from an IRB if required.