An exploration of the perceptions, experience and practice of cancer clinicians in caring for patients with cancer who are also parents of dependent-age children
Abstract
Background Being a parent alongside a cancer diagnosis presents unique challenges. It is unclear to what degree parenting considerations feature in routine care and how doctors approach treatment decision discussions.Objective To explore doctor perspectives regarding patients with cancer who have dependent children.Methodology Focus groups and interviews conducted to ascertain doctor views. Responses were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed.Results Twenty-eight doctors participated: medical oncology (7), haematology (10), palliative care (8), and psycho-oncology (3). Participants observed cancer impacted upon parenting across several domains: psycho-social, practical, and family implications. Having dependent children was perceived to influence the patient experience and decision-making by patients and clinicians. Participants identified this cohort as emotionally demanding to care for with a range of psychological effects identified for doctors, particularly in highly challenging circumstances (single-parent and non-English speaking families, scenarios involving communication difficulties).Conclusion Participants recognised the presence of dependent children to profoundly influence the experience of being both a parent and a patient with cancer. Identifying patients with parental responsibilities was noted as relevant for management at diagnosis through to death. Greater understanding of doctors' experiences providing care for this cohort may inform the development of resources to assist doctors and their patients.
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Additional stressors specific to palliative care include regular exposure to death, loss and grief.
“Additional stressors specific to palliative care include regular exposure to death, loss and grief.”
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- Authors
- Heynemann, S., Philip, J., & McLachlan, S.-A.
- Affiliations
- St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Heynemann, Sarah
- Venue
- Supportive Care in Cancer
- Published
- 2021-01-02
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 3895-3902
- ISSN
- 0941-4355 (ISSN-L)
- 1433-7339
- OpenAlex
- W3114824330
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1
- FWCI
- 3.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Supportive Care in Cancer (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- St Vincent's Hospital Foundation, Joyce Granger Sub-Fund
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Family Support in Illness
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative and Oncologic Care
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare
- Keywords
- physician attitudes, clinician experience, treatment decision-making, single-parent families, non-English-speaking families, communication difficulties, family impact of cancer, psycho-oncology, palliative care, medical oncology, hematology
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Perception, Physician-Patient Relations, Cohort Studies, Parenting, Focus Groups, Qualitative Research
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