A Qualitative Case Study of the Experiences of Children With Cancer as They Learn About Their Diagnosis and Treatment

Study Summary

Thousands of children are diagnosed with cancer each year, many of whom will achieve long term survival due to advances in treatments and technologies. However, when a child is first diagnosed, they are confronted with a wealth of new and unfamiliar medical information that they must integrate in order to understand their diagnosis and treatment plan. Little is yet known about how children with cancer experience learning about their diagnosis and treatment in the hospital setting, or the individuals and materials that may help to facilitate the child's developing understanding. This information could help to identify or guide educational and supportive child life interventions to help children with cancer better understand their illness and its treatment. This observational study will collect data about how children currently learn about their cancer diagnosis and treatment in the hospital setting. The interventions used do not seek to change the health outcomes of the participants in this study. The observational data collected may serve to improve how future patients learn about their cancer-related diagnosis.

Primary Outcome

Data will be collected during individual interviews, guided activity sessions, and observations of participant clinic appointments, inpatient admissions, and other medical events. Because there are no hypotheses to be tested or evaluated, and because this is a qualitative study, no statistical analyses will be used. Instead, coding and categorizing techniques will be used as are common in multiple case study designs. Data analysis in this study will occur constantly and simultaneously alongside

Conditions Studied

Interventions

• BEHAVIORAL Interview
• BEHAVIORAL Observations
• BEHAVIORAL Guided Activities

Study Locations (1)