title: Cancer and the family: assessment, communication and brief interventions-the development of an educational programme for healthcare professionals when a parent has cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study developed and piloted an educational intervention to support healthcare professionals (HCPs) to provide supportive care for families when a parent has cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Programme development followed the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework, beginning with examination of theory and research, and consultation with experts. The programme content incorporated attachment theory, child development and family systems theory. It was piloted thrice with HCPs from a cancer centre. The evaluation involved a questionnaire, comprising open-ended questions, completed before and after the programme. Data from the questionnaire were analysed using framework analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  31 HCPs from varying disciplines participated. The programme was evaluated positively by participants. Before the programme, participants had significant concerns about their professional competence, which included: managing their own emotions; a perceived sensitivity around raising child and family matters with patients and a lack of specialist experience, skills and knowledge. After completing the programme, participants reported greater understanding and knowledge, increased confidence to approach patients about family matters, greater skill to initiate conversations and explore family concerns and guiding parent-child communication according to the child's level of understanding, and an increased engagement and resilience for caring for parents with cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supporting HCPs to provide family-centred care is likely to reduce psychological difficulties in families where a parent has cancer. Further work is planned to disseminate the programme, evaluate the transfer of skills into practice, assess how HCPs manage the emotional demands of providing supportive care over time, and consider on-going professional support for HCPs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pastoral and Psychological Care, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.affiliation: Health Service Research, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Amrit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sangha
authors.affiliation: Department of Pastoral and Psychological Care, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lister
authors.affiliation: Health Service Research, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wiseman
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D058015:Health Communication / Q000592:standards*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation
keywords: Cancer; Communication; Family; Parent; Supportive care