An Evidence-Informed Cancer Care Communication Tool to Support Patients, Family, and Cancer and Palliative Care Clinicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic (RP314)

Outcomes

1. Understand the challenges of cancer care communication during the pandemic

2. Learn about a new tool for improving cancer care communication during the pandemic

Importance

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed the landscape of cancer care. Changes were not always communicated to cancer patients, and it is unknown how it impacted patient decision making.

Objective(s)

Develop an evidence-informed communication tool to support patients, family, and cancer and palliative care clinicians navigating cancer care during a pandemic.

Method(s)

Interviews with 71 participants (48 patients, 4 caregivers, 19 clinicians) between August 2020 and July 2021 at four U.S. academic cancer centers. Four focus groups with five professionals representing oncology and palliative care advisory organizations. A 3-hour virtual Stakeholder Summit with 25 attendees representing patients and family, cancer and palliative care clinicians, researchers, and advocacy organizations.

Results

The initial tool had five domains based on focus group and interview data, reduced to three domains during iterative discussion at the stakeholder summit: COVID-19-related changes and concerns, coping with cancer during the pandemic, and telehealth preferences. Conversations about COVID-19 between patients, caregivers, and clinicians can be emotionally stressful or even taboo in some locales. Stakeholders advised building a tool to facilitate deeper discussions about COVID-19 while allowing patients to opt out and, if preferred, defer pandemic decision making to clinicians. Stakeholders noted that the tool should list only content and preferences that can actually be accommodated by cancer clinicians. Telehealth has different limitations and benefits, which created different preferences for clinicians, patients, and caregivers. Stakeholders agreed that a domain that captured patients’ preferences for its use should be kept.

Conclusion(s)

A stakeholder-developed and evidence-informed communication tool that outlines pandemic-related changes and existing options for care may help patients and caregivers be more knowledgeable and active in decision making related to their care during the pandemic.

Impact

A communication tool can illuminate and potentiate patient, family, and clinician discussion about care preferences, even during a pandemic.