Exploring Disclosure Research in Nursing Communication and Scholarship: Current Research and Future Directions

Health care in the U.S. is a dynamic and demanding field faced with many challenges such as an aging population, coupled with increases in chronic diseases and conditions (e.g., heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and arthritis). Addressing these challenges involves ongoing communication among numerous constituents comprised of health care providers (physicians, nurses, therapists), health administrators, patients, family members, and/or other caregivers. Part of managing a chronic illness, for example, is coordinating information surrounding the condition such as disclosing health information to others. The purpose of this article is twofold: First, we examine current “disclosure” research (referred to variously as sharing, information management, avoidance, holding back, withdrawal, and privacy management) in both nursing and communication scholarship. Second, we propose an agenda for expanding disclosure research in nursing contexts and for more collaborative research among nursing, communication, and other relevant disciplines (e.g., psychology, social or health psychology, medicine, and public health)

I Know I Can: Feeling Confident About Discussing Cancer May Help Couples\u27 Cancer Management

Managing chronic illness, especially something like cancer, affects more than the diagnosed person. Cancer also affects partners, families, and loved ones. In our study, we were interested in how cancer affects communication patterns between survivors and their partners. We wanted to apply a model that explains chronic illness management in couples to see if we could determine how parts of a relationship, uncertainty about cancer prognosis, and the confidence people have in talking with partners about the cancer affect couples’ ability to manage the disease

Health disclosure decision-making: the role of prognosis and symptom uncertainity in ongoing disclosure to a spouse about a heart-related condition

This study utilizes Greene's (2009) health disclosure decision-making model (DD-MM) to explore the role of prognosis and symptom uncertainty in patterns of disclosure to a spouse/partner about a chronic health condition. Toward this end, an uncertainty and disclosure model is hypothesized in which prognosis and symptom uncertainty and relational quality are expected to to predict perceived partner support, communication efficacy, and the depth, breadth, and frequency of disclosure to a partner about a health condition. Patients with diagnosed heart-related conditions visiting a private medical office were recruited to fill out surveys. Measured variables included prognosis uncertainty (self-, partner-, and relationship-focused), symptom uncertainty (self-, partner-, and relationship-focused), relational quality, perceived partner support, communication efficacy to partner, and depth, breadth, and frequency of disclosure about one's health condition. The results indicated that (1) the key mechanisms identified in the DD-MM influence the depth, breadth, and frequency of disclosure about a chronic health condition; and (2) that uncertainty plays a prominent role in people's patterns of disclosure to their partner about their heart-related condition. The findings and implications of the study are discussed.Ph.D.Includes abstractVitaIncludes bibliographical referencesby Maria G. Checto