Providers working with parents who are diagnosed with cancer: education and role perceptions regarding communication efforts between parents and children

About 20% of adults diagnosed with cancer are parents of children under the age of 18 years. Parents diagnosed with cancer often seek assistance from their providers when it comes to deciding how to tell their children about the diagnosis. Extant literature illustrates that providers are not adequately prepared to engage with, or support, patients and their family members in these processes. A survey was constructed for this inquiry. Findings from 56 providers (mean years of experience = 16, SD = 13.02) illustrate they primarily receive education about working with patients and their families on-the-job. Similar results were found related to education, specifically on how to support communication efforts between parents and children during cancer diagnosis conversations. Mental health providers were more receptive toward helping parents gather information about cancer (and then facilitating conversations about it with children) as compared to biomedical providers. Medical and graduate school curricula should include principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home to create a standard of practice that includes family members in patient care. Continued training during residency and internship to educate providers about all professionals working in integrated teams is indicated. Knowledge about the roles that various providers play could also increase reliable resource provision and effective interdisciplinary collaboration.