Communication Coaching: A Case Study of Family Caregiver Burden.
Elaine Wittenberg, Betty Ferrell, Marianna Koczywas and 1 others
PMID 28315544WHAT IT FOUND
One distressed lung cancer caregiver's distress score fell from 8 to 6 after a nurse-delivered communication coaching call and guide.
The single case cannot show the coaching caused the change.
Key findings
01Ruby's psychological distress score was 8 at baseline and 6 at one-month follow-up.
02Ruby ranked communicating with her biological father and stepfather as most challenging, followed by knowing what to ask healthcare providers.
03Ruby's communication confidence with healthcare providers improved most, including confidence to discuss broader life topics from 2 to 9.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only one caregiver was analysed, and she had high distress at baseline, so this cannot show what usually happens. There was no comparison group, so the change from distress 8 to 6 cannot be separated from time, the guide, or the coaching call. The caregiver also used guide activities on her own, so the coaching call alone cannot be credited. The caregiver confidence survey was developed by the research team, and the supplied text does not describe its measurement properties. Follow-up was only one month, and some confidence scores decreased, including discussions about broader life topics with her mother. The researchers were trained in communication and quality of life, which may bias interpretation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat this as evidence that communication coaching reduces caregiver distress. It is one case, the distress score changed from 8 to 6, and the guide, coaching call, and elapsed time all occurred together, so their separate effects cannot be separated.