Bainbridge Daryl, Lysecki David L, Akitt Tracy, Georgiou Georgia, McKean Heather, Orr Elizabeth, Meyer Ralph M, Sussman Jonathan
Department of Oncology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Support Care Cancer. 2025 Aug 11;33(9):778. doi: 10.1007/s00520-025-09829-4.
A parent being diagnosed with cancer can have a negative impact on the patient, co-parent(s) and their children, the effects of which may be mitigated through tailored family support. Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) embedded within the adult oncology ecosystem offer an ideal skill set to provide this support. We conducted a qualitative analysis to examine the implementation and impact of a novel CCLS program at a tertiary oncology centre.
We conducted a mixed-methods formative evaluation of a CCLS program we introduced to integrate these services into the supportive care provided to adult cancer patients and their families. In this reporting, we focus on the qualitative data from personal in-depth interviews with patients, co-parents, and children and focus groups with health care providers. We followed a qualitative descriptive design, completing a thematic analysis of these data to gain an understanding of patient and provider experiences with the CCLS program and its feasibility in practice.
Qualitative data were obtained from interviews with 15 patients/co-parents and three children and from two focus groups with clinicians. Five major themes arose from cross-analysis: intrinsic value, awareness, person-centred approach, integration, and impact of COVID-19. Respondents perceived the CCLS to fill a gap in psychosocial and informational support for cancer patients, co-parents, and their children and to contribute a family-centred approach to care.
This study demonstrates the feasibility and value of psychosocial supports directed to the experience of cancer for families with minor children at home, and its unique impact on patients, co-parents, and children.
父母一方被诊断出患有癌症会对患者、另一方父母及其子女产生负面影响，而通过量身定制的家庭支持，这种影响可能会得到缓解。成人肿瘤生态系统中的认证儿童生活专家（CCLS）具备提供此类支持的理想技能组合。我们进行了一项定性分析，以考察某三级肿瘤中心一项新型CCLS项目的实施情况及其影响。
我们对引入的一项CCLS项目进行了混合方法的形成性评估，以将这些服务整合到为成年癌症患者及其家庭提供的支持性护理中。在本报告中，我们重点关注来自对患者、另一方父母和子女进行的个人深度访谈以及与医疗服务提供者进行的焦点小组讨论的定性数据。我们采用定性描述性设计，对这些数据进行主题分析，以了解患者和提供者在CCLS项目中的体验及其在实践中的可行性。
通过对15名患者/另一方父母、3名儿童的访谈以及与临床医生进行的两个焦点小组讨论获得了定性数据。交叉分析得出了五个主要主题：内在价值、认知度、以人为本的方法、整合以及新冠疫情的影响。受访者认为CCLS填补了癌症患者、另一方父母及其子女在心理社会和信息支持方面的空白，并为以家庭为中心的护理做出了贡献。
本研究证明了针对家中有年幼儿童的家庭在癌症经历方面提供心理社会支持的可行性和价值，以及其对患者、另一方父母和子女的独特影响。
