Migrant families' experiences in pediatric oncology: A scoping review

Pediatric cancer affects the entire family unit and mandates specific decision-making considerations for providers due to the unique triadic decision-making constellation, which is further complicated by migration experience. However, no research synthesis has zoomed in specifically on this aspect in the pediatric oncology setting.

Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, we carried out a scoping review on migrant families' first-hand experiences of pediatric oncology care. We searched six databases. There were no restrictions on study design, study quality, geographical area, or publication date.

Results reveal that migrant families' experiences track along six dimensions: language; interpreter services; health literacy and behavior; health systems, hospitals and providers; culturally safe care; and resilience and coping. Migrant families' experiences could often be improved with little additional resources, namely by using and re-organizing already existing resources and services. Moreover, our findings warn against an oversimplification of pediatric oncology care for migrant families as cross-cultural competence. Interpreters play a crucial role and should be made available to ensure effective communication.

To conclude, while migrant families are already in vulnerable positions, they face various barriers to equitable pediatric oncology care. As such, a families' migrant background represents another layer of vulnerability. The comprehensive map of migrant families' experiences yielded by our analysis can be used by providers to prepare, monitor and evaluate their healthcare encounters with migrant families. As such, our findings provide key insights for effectively improving pediatric oncology care experiences of migrant families.