Family Disclosure of a Cancer Diagnosis to Patients

What are the experiences of Chinese family members in managing the disclosure of a cancer diagnosis to an adult patient?In this qualitative study including 41 family members of adult patients with cancer in China, 4 themes emerged in their descriptions of the disclosure process: collective family decision-making, negotiation with health care professionals, family-led initial disclosure, and continuous adjustment of information delivery throughout treatment.These findings suggest that communication practices should accommodate culturally embedded family preferences while guiding a gradual transition to a patient-centered disclosure of cancer diagnosis in a Chinese context.

Corresponding Author: Pingting Zhu, PhD, School of Nursing, Yangzhou University, 136 Jiangyang Middle Road, Hanjiang County, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China 225009 (ptzhu@yzu.edu.cn).

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