Experiences of Patients, Family Members and Nurses in Outpatient Cancer Care: A Multi-Method Qualitative Study.
Nerea Azcárate-Cenoz, Cristina Alfaro-Díaz, Ana Ojer Perea and 4 others
PMID 41795622WHAT IT FOUND
Patients, families and oncology nurses described cancer as a family affair.
Families hid worries to protect each other, wanted gradual practical information, and nurses said private space and time for structured family conversations were often missing.
Key findings
01Cancer disrupted family life, and patients and family members often hid their own distress to protect each other.
02Patients and families wanted information given gradually and practical guidance for daily life, while some observations showed consultations focused on the patient rather than the whole family.
03Nurses said family conversations were rarely structured or documented, and limited time and inadequate private space made it hard to build trust with families.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Findings come from one cancer centre in northern Spain and 22 participants, so they may not apply to other services or countries. Participants were recruited purposively and through nurses or the nursing director, which may shape who was willing or able to take part. The study reports experiences and themes, not whether a family-oriented approach improves patient or family outcomes. All members of the research team were women, and some had nursing experience or personal encounters with cancer, which may have influenced interpretation.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Association of Friends of the University of Navarra, Santander Bank, the General Nursing Council of Spain and the CTO group. The authors declare no conflicts of interest and state that none of the funding bodies had a role in the research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that structured family conversations or nurse-led support improve outcomes. The study describes experiences and barriers in one outpatient oncology setting, not a tested intervention.