Measuring Communication Similarity Between Hospice Nurses and Cancer Caregivers Using Latent Semantic Analysis.
Lauren Kane, Margaret F Clayton, Brian R Baucom and 2 others
PMID 31356461WHAT IT FOUND
Hospice nurses and caregivers often talked about the same topics.
Higher communication similarity was linked to more nurse partnering statements and more caregiver talk relative to nurse talk.
Key findings
01The average communication similarity score across 31 home hospice visits was 0.83, with a range of 0.66 to 0.89.
02Higher communication similarity was associated with greater nurse-reported preference for patient-centered communication (r=0.75, p<.0001).
03Higher communication similarity was associated with more nurse partnering statements (r=0.36, p=.02), fewer nurse emotional responses (r=-0.33, p=.03), lower caregiver distress statements (r=-0.29, p=.06), and more caregiver talk relative to nurse talk (r=0.39, p=.015).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 31 home hospice visits were analysed, and they were selected because they already contained caregiver distress and positive emotion, so the results may not represent ordinary hospice visits. The sample was small and narrow: 23 nurses, all Caucasian females, and visits came from 7 hospice agencies in 2 states. The study was cross-sectional and correlational, so it cannot show that nurse partnering or caregiver-centered preference caused higher communication similarity or reduced caregiver distress. Audio recordings did not capture nonverbal cues, and the analysis did not compare nurse-caregiver with nurse-patient communication. Patients who died within 72 hours of admission were not enrolled, so very rapid deaths are missing.
Declared interests
The paper is listed as supported by NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research support. The supplied text does not include a conflicts-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the association between higher communication similarity and lower caregiver distress as proof that similar communication reduces distress. The study was correlational, used selected visits, and cannot show cause.