Measuring Communication Similarity Between Hospice Nurses and Cancer Caregivers Using Latent Semantic Analysis

Optimal end-of-life care requires effective communication between hospice nurses, caregivers, and patients, yet defining and evaluating effective communication are challenging. Latent semantic analysis (LSA) measures the degree of communication similarity (talking about the same topic) without relying on specific word choices or matching of communication behaviors (question-answer), thus more comprehensively evaluating communication interactions.

Guided by the Communication Accommodation Theory, we evaluated communication similarity, indicating theoretical convergence, between hospice nurses and caregivers of cancer patients, identifying nurse attributes and communication skills that were associated with greater communication similarity.

A descriptive secondary analysis of self-reported nurse data and 31 audio-recorded cancer patient home hospice nursing visits across 2 states and 7 hospices.

The average LSA score was 0.83 (possible range, 0-1). A nurse preference for greater patient-oriented visits, use of more Nurse Partnering statements, and less Conversation Dominance (ratio of total nurse to total caregiver talk) were associated with higher LSA scores.

Effective communication is essential to optimal end-of-life care. Latent semantic analysis is a feasible and promising approach for assessing communication similarity during home hospice care.

Hospice nurses are at the forefront of family caregiver communication, playing a vital role in empowering caregivers to assume required patient care tasks. Communication strategies such as the use of partnering statements that increase LSA scores can be taught to hospice nurses and other members of the hospice interdisciplinary team as a way to enrich communication skills and improve communication confidence and can be translated into other oncology nursing contexts.