Children with Cancer: Cultural Differences in Communication between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Abstract

This chapter examines the phenomenon of childhood cancer with a focus on the cultural differences in communication between the United States and the United Kingdom. The treatment of childhood cancer, the organization of health care for children with cancer, and communication and stages of care are all considered. Overall, health care professionals are faced with many important challenges when caring for children with cancer. The visible improvements made in survival for children with cancer over the last 30 years owes perhaps as much to the development of national organizations such as the COG and the UKCCSG, as to the inherent sensitivity to treatment of these cancers. In addition, the intensification of multi-modality therapy, and the inclusion of biological and pharmacological studies into frontline treatment protocols are causing tremendous challenges in terms of the informed consent of children and parents at a very difficult time. In relation to issues of communication in general, the lack of effective reimbursement of physicians for parental counseling, especially if the consultation does not directly involve the child may be an important barrier to effective communication in the United States. For the provision of health care beyond the boundaries of the pediatric oncology unit, the link between community-based health care teams and the specialist unit that exist under the auspices of the NHS in the United Kingdom seem to facilitate a more even and home-centered approach to palliative care. The diverse ethnic mix of cultures in the United States, and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom, pose unique challenges to effective communication. Formal studies are needed to investigate the importance of communication for potentially important issues such as compliance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)