Training and Preparedness among Informal Cancer Caregivers

As care for patients with cancer has increasingly moved into the home, informal cancer caregivers have become ever more integral to cancer care delivery. Given the complex, intensive, and often long-term care they provide, it is essential to understand the training and preparedness of informal cancer caregivers.

We used a cross-sectional study design to explore training and preparedness among informal cancer caregivers. Informal caregivers (n = 374) completed a survey about caregiving experiences, preparedness for caregiving, finances and employment, current health, healthcare technology, mental well-being, social support, and demographics.

A minority of caregivers reported pre-existing experience as a healthcare workforce professional (8.0%) or training from the cancer care team tailored to their role as a cancer caregiver (7.2%) as their source of training on how to care for a patient with cancer. Despite this small number, most caregivers felt prepared for their role. Caregivers reported multiple caregiving tasks. The most frequently reported were providing emotional support, rides to and attending appointments, and help around the home. Some caregivers reported that patients needed care they could not provide, most commonly emotional/mental support.

Most informal cancer caregivers report feeling prepared for caregiving despite few receiving training. Caregivers could benefit from training and support to meet patients' needs and support their own well-being. Future work is needed to develop caregiver training and support programs tailored to the needs of diverse caregivers.