Dyadic Perceptions of the Decision Process in Families Living With Lung Cancer.
Lyndsey M Miller, Donald R Sullivan, Karen S Lyons
PMID 27991611WHAT IT FOUND
Feeling unheard by family predicted more negative and less positive views of decision-making in lung cancer dyads.
Depressive symptoms also linked to negative perceptions. Nurses should ensure both patients and caregivers feel listened to during care discussions.
Key findings
01Patients and family members who reported difficulty getting their family to listen to their opinion had more negative and fewer positive perceptions of the family decision process.
02Own depressive symptoms were significantly associated with negative perceptions of the decision process for both patients and family members.
03Family members in non-spousal dyads (e.g., adult child-parent) had significantly less positive perceptions of the decision process than spouses.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was homogeneous (mostly non-Hispanic white, older adults), limiting generalizability to other racial, ethnic, or age groups. The cross-sectional nature of the data prevents determining the direction of influence between variables (e.g., whether depressive symptoms cause negative perceptions or vice versa). The study could not identify which specific family relationships (e.g., which siblings or extended family) were the source of the feeling of not being listened to. Only patients' perceptions of relationship quality were used in the models, not family members'.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. The study was funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that nurses can directly alter the 'decision process' score through specific communication techniques based on this data. The study identifies associations between feelings of being unheard and perceptions of the decision process, but it is cross-sectional and cannot prove that improving listening skills causes better decision process outcomes.