The demands of caregivers of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in different therapy stages and the exploration of possible interventions: A longitudinal investigation survey at a Tertiary Medical Institution.
Yang Liu, Linyu Ma, Lin Mo and 2 others
PMID 36479623WHAT IT FOUND
Caregivers of children with leukaemia reported high demands for prognosis information, participation in decisions, alternative therapies and financial assistance.
Demands shifted by stage: information at induction, care and support at consolidation, social and emotional needs at continuation.
Key findings
01The top caregiver demands included learning about prognosis, participating in clinical decisions, learning about non-traditional therapies, and financial assistance.
02Information demands were highest during induction, care and support demands highest during consolidation, and psychosocial demands highest during continuation.
03Caregivers of children aged 5 to 12 had the highest psychosocial demands, while caregivers of children aged 12 and over had the highest care and support demands.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample came from one Chinese tertiary hospital and used convenience sampling, so it may not apply to other families. The study analysed 151 caregivers from 157 distributed questionnaires, and children aged over 12 were few. The survey lasted 9 months, which the authors describe as short. The study did not analyse whether demands differed between mothers, fathers, and other caregivers. It was a needs survey and gave no intervention, so it cannot show that any support reduced burden or improved outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no funding or conflicts of interest, but the article also names the Chongqing Science and Technology Commission as funder.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the stage-specific demands as proof that nurse-led information, symptom support, or psychosocial programmes improve outcomes. The study only surveyed caregiver needs and gave no intervention.