Swedish Health Care Personnel's Perceptions of Disease and Treatment-Related Problems Experienced by Children with Cancer and Their Families

Abstract

In recent decades, the intensification of treatment of children with cancer has resulted in a considerable increase in the number of those cured. The intensive treatment has also led to several problems for the children and their families. The aim of the present study was to identify the physical, psychological, social, and existential problems; symptoms and inconvenience caused by the disease and treatment or the hospital stay determined by Swedish health care personnel to be the most troublesome for children with cancer and their families. A modified three-round Delphi technique was used. In this way, 207 different problems were identified by 24 health care personnel. According to the personnel, the child is most troubled by physical symptoms, and family members are most troubled by feelings of anxiety about future events or possible events. The personnel interpreted the family members' problems as significantly worse than the child's. The results are related to the age and the diagnosis of the child.