Pediatric Education Discharge Support Strategies for Newly Diagnosed Children With Cancer.
Marilyn Hockenberry, Maureen Haugen, Abigail Slaven and 16 others
PMID 33813530WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of newly diagnosed children with cancer who received a symptom-management worksheet reported greater satisfaction and a faster decline in pain over two months compared to those who received a coping-support worksheet.
However, the symptom group had more unscheduled clinic visits.
Key findings
01Pain symptoms decreased over time more in the symptom management group compared to the support and coping group.
02Parents in the symptom management group reported significantly higher satisfaction with the worksheet's ease of use, readability, and helpfulness than those in the coping group.
03The symptom management group was more likely to have unscheduled clinic visits at two months, though emergency room visits and hospitalizations did not differ between groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted only in Magnet-designated hospitals, which have specific nursing standards and resources, so results may not generalize to other settings. The follow-up period was short, lasting only two months after diagnosis. Symptom severity was measured only at scheduled visits, potentially missing symptoms that occurred between appointments. The intervention was delivered only as a paper worksheet, not in an electronic format.
Declared interests
The funding source and conflict of interest declarations are not explicitly stated in the provided text, though the study sites were recruited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the increased unscheduled clinic visits in the symptom management group represent a failure of the intervention or poor symptom control. The authors suggest this may reflect parents being more aware of when to seek help, and the primary clinical outcomes showed reduced pain and higher satisfaction.