Effects of pre-consultation lists on the communicative behavior of children with cancer and their caregivers

Abstract

This cross-sectional study present effects of pre-consultation lists on caregivers' and children's communicative behavior. Thirty-two dyads caregiver-child took part in this research, divided in three groups concerning the study design: Baseline 1, Intervention phase, and Baseline 2. Children and caregivers were individually interviewed before consultations on pediatric cancer treatment, in order to list doubts, expectations, and estimated issues to the medical visit. These themes were written down on a sheet of paper, attached to the child´s medical record cover, and would then be used as a memo in the following consultation. Results show that pre-consultation lists produced no effects on children's behavior, however the procedure was associated to specific doubts discussed by caregivers regarding dietary recommendations, coping with side effects, child development, biological aspects of cancer, and school activities. This study presents a low cost procedure that may contribute to tailor communication in pediatric settings.

Pediatric cancer communication in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A scoping review

“…Enablers of communication included preconsultation lists of discussion topics, 24,27 an initial family meeting with a multidisciplinary team, 28,34,36,48 parental education programs, 55 and use of puppets 21 or drawings 29 for communication with the child. Other factors that enabled communication included written, verbal, and nonverbal communication tools 37,48 ; an established therapeutic relationship with the medical team 26,30,32,49,60 ; plenty of time for communication 31,34 ; and extended support for caregivers 28,31,58 …”