Parental treatment decision making in pediatric oncology.
OBJECTIVE
To review progress and future plans for a research program about parents' making treatment decisions for their children with cancer.


METHODS
Theoretical papers, review articles, and research reports.


CONCLUSIONS
Three important questions need to be addressed to achieve the goal of supporting parents in treatment decision making: 1) Whatfactors predict a parent's preferred role iln decision making? 2) What are the critical outcomes from parental decision making that nurses could help to improve? 3) Is it role choice, actual role assumed, or congruence between preferred and actual role in decision making that predicts decision outcomes for the parents?


CONCLUSIONS
Research-based responses to the remaining questions about parent treatment decision making will help nurses develop and test interventions designed to support parents in their decision making experiences.
Department of Health Promotion and Development, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, PA 15206, USA. stewj@pitt.edu
Janet L
JL
Stewart
Kimberly A
KA
Pyke-Grimm
Katherine Patterson
KP
Kelly
D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003657:Decision Making; D004522:Educational Status; D006292:Health Priorities; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D016294:Models, Nursing; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009859:Oncology Nursing; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D018579:Patient Selection; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011379:Prognosis; D012107:Research Design; D012944:Social Support