Improving care through patient and family education in pediatric oncology

Abstract

Patient and family education in pediatric oncology provides knowledge that empowers autonomous decisions, which may ultimately affect health outcomes. Thus, patient and family education is an integral and crucial element of nursing care in pediatric oncology. Significant time points throughout the cancer care trajectory during which there is an increased need for delivery of information include the time of diagnosis, end of treatment, relapse, transition to survivorship, and end-of-life care. Because of limited evidence to guide best practices, patient and family education has recently been identified as both a clinical and research priority within the pediatric oncology community. Expert consensus recommendations have been developed to guide the provision of education to families of newly diagnosed patients. These recommendations include standardizing content, personalizing delivery methods, pacing and tracking delivery of information, and attending to the emotional needs of families. Gaps in knowledge regarding the delivery of patient/family education in pediatric oncology have been identified, and several research studies are currently addressing these gaps. Knowledge gained through current research will inform future evidence-based best practices for health care professionals, providing guidance for the delivery of high-quality patient/family education in pediatric oncology.