The psychological experience of pediatric oncology patients facing life-threatening situations: A systematic review with narrative synthesis.
Emília Comas CarbonellDolors Mateo-OrtegaEster Busquets-AlibésPublished in: Palliative & supportive care (2021)
The care needs identified are maintaining normality, controlling physical and psychological symptoms, and that maintaining hope is an important aspect for children. Whether or not the children want to talk about death is another important aspect that needs to be reflected upon, and it would be appropriate to consider, on an individual level, involving patients in the discussion on the diagnosis and treatment of the illness. Future research should be conducted from the children's perspective since most existing research is from the perspective of the family members or health professionals. Furthermore, it is recommended to take into account qualitative approaches that provide more detailed information on the patients' subjectivity.