A Comprehensive Survey of Institutional Patient/Family Educational Practices for Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Oncology Patients: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Janice Withycombe, Emory University; Rachel Andam-Mejia, Old Dominion University; Annie Dwyer, The Children's Hospital at Westmead; Abigail Slaven, Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center; Katherine Windt, Rady Children's Hospital; Wendy Landier, University of Alabama Birmingham
• Language: English
• Date: 2016-11
• Publisher: SAGE Publications (UK and US)
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2016 by Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1043454216652857
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing
• ISSN: 1043-4542
• Volume: 33
• Issue: 6
• Start Page: 414
• End Page: 421
• Grant/Funding Information: This study was presented, in part, at the Children's Oncology Group's “State of the Science Symposium: Patient/Family Education in Pediatric Oncology,” on October 6, 2015, in Dallas, Texas. Symposium supported by the National Cancer Institute (R13CA196165 Principal Investigators: Landier and Hockenberry).; The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was supported by a Children's Oncology Group Nursing Fellowship in Patient/Family Education awarded to Janice Withycombe and funded through the National Cancer Institute/National Clinical Trials Network Group Operations Grant (U10CA180886; Principal Investigator: Adamson), and by Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.
• Keywords: PROGRESS; CARE; INTERNET; teaching; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; patient; CHILDHOOD; Oncology; CANCER STATISTICS; Science & Technology; METAANALYSIS; FAMILY-EDUCATION; family education; childhood cancer; TEACH-BACK; new diagnosis; Nursing
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Education; Health Sciences, Oncology

Abstract

Patient/family education is an important component of nursing practice and is essential to the care of children newly diagnosed with cancer. Practices regarding patient/family education in Children’s Oncology Group (COG) treatment centers have not been well described. We used an Internet-based survey to determine current patient/family educational practices at COG institutions; participation rate was 90.5% (201/222). Patient/family education was delivered primarily by an individual (rather than a team) at 43% of institutions. Advanced practice nurses had primary responsibility for providing education at 32% of institutions. “Fever” was the most frequently reported topic considered mandatory for inclusion in education for newly diagnosed patients. More than half of institutions reported using checklists and/or end-of-shift reports to facilitate health care team communication regarding patient/family education, and 77% reported using the “teach-back” method of assessing readiness for discharge. Thirty-seven percent of institutions reported delays in hospital discharge secondary to the need for additional teaching. An understanding of current practices related to patient/family education is the first step in establishing effective interventions to improve and standardize educational practices in pediatric oncology.