Providing care to cancer patients parenting minor children: A qualitative study on healthcare professionals’ communication practice

IF 2.9 2区医学 Q2 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Patient Education and Counseling Pub Date : 2025-01-13 DOI:10.1016/j.pec.2025.108666

Wiebke Frerichs , Laura Inhestern , Lene Marie Johannsen , Corinna Bergelt

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Aim

To explore healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) experiences when communicating about child- and family-related aspects in cancer care and their attitudes about the importance of including these aspects in cancer care.

Methods

We conduced semi-structured interviews with HCPs working in oncology. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Kuckartz's method for qualitative content analysis.

Results

N = 20 HCPs working in oncology, either inpatient or outpatient setting in the area of Hamburg, Germany participated. N = 7 were nurses, n = 6 psychologists, n = 5 physicians and n = 2 social workers. Results showed that HCPs’ communication about child- and family-related aspects for cancer patients parenting minor children varies widely, influenced by factors such as diagnosis, structural challenges, individual characteristics, or profession. Additionally, their attitudes about how relevant it is to integrate child- and family-related aspects in routine cancer care varies from low relevance (i.e. lower priority, beyond professional role) to high relevance (i.e. palliative cases, children have a right to know).

Conclusion

HCPs’ communication practice and views on the importance of addressing child- and family-related aspects in cancer care vary widely and are shaped by various influences.

Practice implication

Results emphasize the need for training and resources to enhance HCPs communication competencies to provide family-oriented care proactively.

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来源期刊

Patient Education and Counseling 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生

CiteScore

5.60

自引率

11.40%

发文量

384

审稿时长

46 days

期刊介绍： Patient Education and Counseling is an interdisciplinary, international journal for patient education and health promotion researchers, managers and clinicians. The journal seeks to explore and elucidate the educational, counseling and communication models in health care. Its aim is to provide a forum for fundamental as well as applied research, and to promote the study of organizational issues involved with the delivery of patient education, counseling, health promotion services and training models in improving communication between providers and patients.