Integrative review of school integration support following pediatric cancer

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to understand parents’ experiences of school integration support for their child’s transition to K-12 schooling during or after cancer treatment. Methods This integrative literature review used PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Embase databases and included articles from January 2000 to July 2022 describing parent experiences with support from healthcare providers, school faculty/systems, and school integration programs. This review was guided by an adapted School Re-Entry Model and used constant comparison to identify common themes and guide synthesis. The Johns Hopkins Evidence and Quality Guide was used to appraise article quality and level of evidence. Results Thirty-five articles were included in the final review: seventeen qualitative, fourteen quantitative, and four mixed or multi-method designs. Parents reported experiences receiving support from healthcare providers, school faculty/systems, school integration programs, and “other” sources. Parents reported both facilitators and barriers to communication, knowledge, and the process of receiving school integration support. Conclusions Parents found neuro/psychologists highly supportive but reported limited support from other healthcare providers. Most parents reported mixed experiences with school faculty and reported many barriers to school system support. Parents reported positive experiences with school integration programs; however, limited programs were available. Implications for Cancer Survivors Future programs and research should focus on addressing identified barriers and facilitators of school integration support. Further work is also needed to understand a wider range of parent experiences during school integration. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11764-022-01276-y.

Adolescent Cancer Survivors and Their Parents’ Experiences With the Transition Off Treatment to Survivorship: A Qualitative Interview Study

“…The parents perceived themselves to be the sole providers of health information to the teachers and voiced a lack of support from HCP at school reentry. Similar results are reported in a recent integrative review (Parrillo et al, 2022), suggesting a need for improved collaboration between HCPs, school personnel, and families to facilitate schools’ information needs. The importance of this collaboration is demonstrated by the adolescents prioritizing school over other social settings.…”

“…At the same time, relationships with healthy peers represent a paradox, as adolescents want to be both treated like everyone else and receive acknowledgment and respect for surviving cancer. This contradiction has also been reported in other studies (Kent et al, 2013;Parrillo et al, 2022). Facilitating meetings with other survivors as part of the transition care seems important as many adolescent survivors find social support in each other (Kent et al, 2013).…”

“…When recovering from cancer, many also face additional challenges with changes in physical appearance, confrontation with their mortality, and health-related worries (Brierley et al, 2019; Keller et al, 2020). For adolescents, the transition can be extra challenging, coexisting with an already vulnerable and often tumultuous developmental period associated with a range of unique changes, including shifting body image, sexual maturation, increased peer interaction, and development of independence and autonomy (Patton et al, 2016; Steinberg, 2011). Cancer treatment and its adverse effects might derail normal development and potentially delay the attainment of developmental milestones (Barr et al, 2016).…”

Enhancing interprofessional interagency collaboration for minoritized and low-income children with chronic illnesses.

“…Moreover, in a literature review of studies on HBSL services utilization by Parrillo et al (2022), the authors noted participants' race/ethnicity was only reported for 10 of 35 programs. For those studies reporting demographic characteristics, HBSL participants were, on average, less than 16% racially and ethnically minoritized children (herein referred to as "minoritized"), suggesting minoritized children are underserved by HBSL programs (except for one program that targeted Latine patients).…”