Through Their Words: Sources of Bother for Hospitalized Children and Adolescents With Cancer

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Child Psychology
• Healthcare Environment Studies

Background:

• Inpatient pediatric cancer treatment intensifies the patient experience due to separation from home and hospital routines.
• Understanding children's perspectives on hospitalization is crucial for improving care quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore perceived sources of bother and suggestions for improvement from children and adolescents undergoing inpatient cancer treatment.
• To identify key themes that contribute to the burden of hospitalization for pediatric cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative content analysis of responses from 50 children and adolescents (mean age 12.6 years).
• Data collected over a 3-day/3-night period using two open-ended questions about hospital bother and improvements.
• Chi-square analyses were used to analyze response themes.

Main Results:

• Major themes of bother included treatment consequences, isolation, imposed routines, negative environment, and staff behaviors.
• Key areas for improvement focused on normalizing activities, enhancing the hospital environment, reducing treatment burden, and addressing patient care issues.
• A significant portion of participants also responded with "nothing/don't know" for both bother and improvement.

Conclusions:

• Children and adolescents identify specific aspects of hospitalization that cause distress, highlighting the need for environmental and care adjustments.
• Findings provide a basis for actionable strategies to alleviate the burden of hospitalization for pediatric cancer patients.
• Focusing on patient-centered improvements can significantly enhance the hospital experience for young cancer patients.