A qualitative inquiry of communication based barriers to the diagnosis of pediatric cancer: Perceptions of primarily Spanish-speaking caregivers.

Background: Primarily Spanish-speaking cancer patients and caregivers often experience non-congruence with healthcare providers about beliefs, values, and knowledge of cancer. Our goal was to describe how communication related to the diagnosis of cancer was influenced by culture and language among primarily Spanish-speaking caregivers of pediatric cancer patients.

Methods: Caregivers participated in three focus groups about their experiences with their child's diagnosis, communication issues, and understanding of their child's diagnosis and treatment plan.