A Psychosocial Support Program for Young Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors in Austria: a Qualitative Evaluation Study

Longitudinal needs and cancer knowledge in Swiss childhood cancer survivors transitioning from pediatric to adult follow-up care: results from the ACCS project

PURPOSE

Childhood Cancer Survivors (CCSs) have an increased risk for treatment-related chronic health conditions, but the adherence to long-term follow-up (LTFU) care decreases over time. We therefore assessed the CCSs' development of cancer knowledge, cancer worries, self-management skills, and expectations for LTFU care in a structured, cancer center-based transition model-a crucial part for maintaining adherence.

METHODS

Using questionnaire-based surveys, we compared the CCSs' cancer knowledge with medical record data and assessed cancer worries (6 questions), self-management skills (15 questions), and expectations (12 questions) longitudinally by validated scales. We used descriptive statistics for presenting our results.

RESULTS

We analyzed 17 CCSs, 71% were female, had a median age of 8 years at diagnosis and 21 years at study enrollment. The knowledge about late effects increased during the transition process, except for the risk of secondary malignancies. Leukemia survivors had a decrease in cancer worries. At least 75% of the CCSs agreed to 11 of 15 self-management questions before and after transition, with the highest increase over time in less parental involvement. The CCSs expected the most, that physicians know the CCSs' cancer history, that the visit starts on time, and that physicians can always be called in case of questions.

CONCLUSIONS

Our transition model improved cancer knowledge, especially the risk for late effects, decreased cancer worries, and identified expectations for LTFU care which should be considered in the future. A structured transition process with evidence-based tools further increases the knowledge of CCS for LTFU through empowerment.

Online Ambassador Visits for Hospitalized Children With Cancer: Qualitative Evaluation of Implementation

BACKGROUND

Children with cancer or cancer-like disease risk treatment-related isolation, which can negatively impact their peer relationships and social competencies and exacerbate their loneliness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased online socialization became the new normal imposed by national isolation guidelines. To adhere to the treatment-related isolation guidelines, children with cancer were offered online classmate "ambassador" visits during hospitalization.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify facilitators and barriers to online classmate "ambassador" visits during children with cancer's hospitalization through a qualitative descriptive process evaluation using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

METHODS

From January to April 2022, we conducted 39 individual semistructured interviews with hospitalized children (n=16), their classmates (n=16), teachers from their schools (n=3), and study nurses (n=4) from involved hospitals. Most interviews (n=37, 95%) were conducted online using Microsoft Teams or Google Meet, while 2 (5%) interviews were conducted in person at the participants' residences. This approach allowed us to gain a broad understanding of the facilitators and barriers to online ambassador visits.

RESULTS

We identified four themes: (1) working together, (2) ensuring participation, (3) staying connected, and (4) together online. The themes are described in terms of facilitators and barriers to online ambassador visits with 3 Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research domains: innovation, individuals, and the implementation process.

CONCLUSIONS

Addressing the social needs of hospitalized children through online visits with their classmates may be relevant when one-on-one meetings are problematic. The online visits are highly dependent on collaboration between study nurses and teachers and assessing the needs of the hospitalized children. While a high degree of adult engagement and a stable internet connection are pivotal, these online visits can promote much-needed social interaction between children across physical settings.

Perception of Korean healthy adolescents on cancer and adolescent cancer survivors: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

As the number of adolescent cancer survivors increases, detailed and effective healthcare policies on adolescent cancer survivors returning to school and workplace are needed. The study aimed to explore the perception of healthy adolescents on cancer and adolescent cancer survivors.

METHODS

This study conducted a face-to-face cross-sectional study in the Republic of Korea in 2021 on adolescent selected through proportional population allocation sampling by sex, age, and region. According to research questions, survey questionnaire organized and collected data on adolescents' perceptions of cancer, differences in perceptions from tuberculosis, measles, asthma, perceptions of adolescent cancer survivors, and health information sources that led to these perceptions.

RESULTS

Of the total 500 adolescents, less than 10% of healthy adolescents responded that cancer is contagious, while three-quarters of the respondents believed that cancer is preventable. In addition, compared to tuberculosis, measles, and asthma, they recognized differences by disease. The majority of healthy adolescents embraced community values advocating the return of adolescent cancer survivors to school and work. However, they expressed a negative view of the situation in which adolescent cancer survivors could interact with them as classmates or co-workers. Adolescents mainly obtained health information on cancer from the Internet and television, CONCLUSIONS: The perception of healthy adolescents on cancer was relatively accurate; however, they have dualistic thinking involving living with adolescent cancer survivors. To facilitate reintegration of adolescent cancer survivors into daily lives, education is needed for healthy adolescents to live with cancer survivors.

A scoping review of life skills development and transfer in emerging adults

Emerging adulthood is a unique and sensitive life period during which most psychiatric conditions emerge. Development of life skills and transfer of these skills between contexts may be considered essential for transitioning from emerging adulthood to young adulthood. In the present scoping review of 83 articles published between 2010 and 2022, we address the state of research on life skills development and transfer in emerging adults aged 18-30. Specifically, we were interested in how life skills are defined, which specific life skills are proposed and how life skills transfer is conceptualized for this age group, with an emphasis on cognitive, personal, and interpersonal components. The results show that only a small minority of the reviewed studies defined the term life skills and an even smaller number mentioned the concept of life skills transfer, with only one study actually mentioning transfer components. Life skills research for emerging adults strongly focuses on vulnerable populations (e.g., developmental and contextual vulnerabilities, and sexually transmittable infections treatment and prevention) with the five most frequently mentioned life skills being budgeting/ finances, communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and emotional regulation. We discuss these results in light of future research directions and the lessons learned for life skills development and transfer research in emerging adults.

Systematic review registration

All analyzed articles are available at: https://osf.io/gmk8w/.

Parents d’un enfant atteint de cancer ou en rémission de cancer : une nécessité de les accompagner !

Lorsqu’un cancer touche un enfant, les parents (et la famille) se retrouvent impliqués à plusieurs niveaux dans la trajectoire de la maladie et des traitements. Cette trajectoire des soins est variable d’une famille à l’autre. Le monde psychomédical met depuis plusieurs années des actions sur le terrain pour accompagner les parents d’un enfant atteint de cancer ou en rémission de cancer. En tant que professionnels de santé, il nous faut poursuivre ces actions et développer un partenariat fort et harmonieux avec les parents, car ils sont les premiers relais pour le suivi médical de l’enfant.