Professional caregivers' perceptions of providing information to parents of children with cancer

Information has been described as a critical part of the care for parents of children with cancer, but not much is known about how caregivers makes decisions about informing parents. This study aims to illuminate professional caregivers' perceptions of providing information to parents of children with cancer. Twenty caregivers at a Swedish pediatric oncology ward participated in four focus group interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to qualitative content analysis. Two themes were found: Matching the amount of information to the parents' needs concerned situations where the amount of information provided according to the caregivers' assessment is deemed too small, appropriate, or too large. Navigating through a vague structure dealt with a disrupted setting, unclear responsibilities within the team, difficult timing, unintelligible information, and underused tools for communication. Implications for intervention development are discussed

Estresse pós-traumático da criança sobrevivente de câncer e sua percepção acerca da experiência parental Post-Traumatic stress disorder of the child survivor of cancer and their perception about parental experience

Nas últimas décadas, paralelamente ao aumento progressivo das taxas de cura em Oncologia Pediátrica, evidencia-se um interesse crescente pela sobrevivência ao câncer na infância. Esta investigação teve como objetivo analisar essa experiência de sobrevivência ao câncer na infância, enfatizando a percepção da criança acerca da experiência parental e avaliando o Transtorno de Estresse Pós-traumático infantil nesse contexto. Realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com a criança, complementadas pela aplicação do UCLA Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index for DSM-IV - Child Version. Evidenciaram-se taxas moderadas de diagnóstico total e parcial de Transtorno de Estresse Pós-Traumático. Especificamente no que se refere aos sintomas de estresse pós-traumático, os escores encontrados foram baixos. Os resultados também sugeriram uma relação entre o modo como a experiência parental é percebida pela criança e o escore total de gravidade de Transtorno de Estresse Pós-traumático Infantil. Recomendam-se estudos com amostras mais extensas, visando disponibilizar instrumentos de avaliação para a área da saúde.<br>This investigation aimed to describe, analyze and comprehend the experience of survival after childhood cancer, emphasizing the child's perception of the parent's experience and the evaluation of the child Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. So, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants, who also answered the UCLA Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index for DSM-IV - Child Version. The child's perception of the parental experience confirmed evidences pointed out by specialized literature. The total and partial diagnosis rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder were moderate. Finally, it was possible to suggest a likely connection between the way the parental experience is perceived and the total severity score of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in children. Further investigation, with more significant samples, is recommended in order to develop evaluation tools to be applied in other health situations