Family caregiving experiences with hospice lung cancer patients compared to other cancer types.

Background: Family caregivers of cancer patients are very involved in communication with healthcare teams; however, little is known about their experiences. Limited information is known about how the type of cancer patients have impact caregiving experiences.

Objectives: This study seeks to compare the caregiving experience of caregivers of hospice lung cancer patients with hospice caregivers of patients with all other cancer types.

Method: This study is based on a secondary analysis of data generated from a parent study evaluating a behavioral intervention with caregivers of hospice cancer patients.

Results: When comparing caregiving experiences by patient diagnosis, significant differences were found in caregivers of hospice lung cancer demographics and experiences with caregiver-centered communication. Specifically, caregivers of lung cancer patients have significantly more trouble with exchange of information, fostering relationships, and decision making with their hospice team.

Conclusion: More research is needed to understand the impact of lung cancer on caregiver centered communication and the necessary interventions required to address these issues.