"Share the Fear": Communication Concerns of Parents With Cancer With Dependents and Coparents: A Qualitative Needs Assessment Study.
Cinzia Caparso, Zoe Bowen, Sung Won Choi
PMID 39671563WHAT IT FOUND
Parents with cancer and coparents both struggled with what to tell children, money, emotions, and end-of-life.
Coparents often felt overwhelmed and hid distress. Most preferred virtual support. These are themes, not tested outcomes.
Key findings
01Parents with cancer and coparents reported shared concerns about talking to children, money, emotions, and end-of-life.
02Coparents reported financial concerns (N = 9; 60%) and emotional concerns (N = 9; 60%) more often than parents with cancer reported them (N = 6; 40% and N = 5; 33%, respectively).
03End-of-life communication included telling children about a terminal diagnosis, how the coparent would cope after death, and advance directives.
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 mostly White, non-Hispanic or non-Latino, married, and heterosexual, so it may not reflect families of other races, ethnicities, family types, or sexual orientations. The study was done at an academic medical center in the Midwestern states, and participants had to speak English. The paper reports 30 interviews for 15 parents and 15 coparents, but also says all interviews were N = 29 except one dyad interviewed together. Participants did not review the transcripts, and the study did not test whether addressing these concerns improves family communication or distress. The interviewer overlooked the question for one coparent.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding is not stated.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that a web-based communication intervention helps families. The study reports what parents and coparents said about their concerns and preferences, and it did not test an intervention.