Caregivers' participation in the oncology clinic visit mediates the relationship between their information competence and their need fulfillment and clinic visit satisfaction.
OBJECTIVE
Caregivers maintain critical roles in cancer patient care. Understanding cancer-related information effects both caregiver involvement and ability to have needs met. This study examines the mediating role caregiver's clinic visit involvement has on the relationships between caregiver's information competence and their need fulfillment and clinic visit satisfaction.


METHODS
Secondary analysis of 112 advanced lung, breast, and prostate cancer caregivers participating in a large clinical trial. Caregiver information competence was assessed at pretest. Involvement, need fulfillment, and visit satisfaction were assessed immediately following the clinic appointment.


RESULTS
Involvement correlated with information competence (r=.21, p<.05), need fulfillment (r=.48, p<.001), and satisfaction (r=.35, p<.001). The correlation between information competence and need fulfillment (r=.26, p<.01) decreased when controlling for involvement (r=.19, p=.049), demonstrating mediation, and accounted for 24.4% of the variance in need fulfillment. The correlation between information competence and satisfaction (r=.21, p=.04), decreased and was non-significant when controlling for involvement (r=.15, p=.11), demonstrating mediation, and accounted for 13% of variance in visit satisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
Caregiver's clinic visit involvement mediates the relationships between their information competence and their need fulfillment and visit satisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
Efforts to improve the caregiving experience, and potentially patient outcomes, should focus on system-wide approaches to facilitating caregivers' involvement and assertiveness in clinical encounters.
DuBenske
Lori L
LL
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies, Madison, WI 53726, USA. dubenske@wisc.edu
Chih
Ming-Yuan
MY
Gustafson
David H
DH
Dinauer
Susan
S
Cleary
James F
JF
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D017008:Negotiating; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires