A qualitative systematic review on patient, professional and carer experiences of communicating a lung cancer diagnosis

<p>Objective: People with lung cancer,  and those who support them, require clear and  consistent communication to support their  engagement in care pathways. This review  aimed to identify and synthesise qualitative  evidence surrounding patients’, carers’, and  healthcare professionals’ experiences of  communicating a lung cancer diagnosis.  Methods: Searches were performed in  MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus and  limited to between 2013-2023. Thomas and  Harden’s approach for the thematic synthesis  of qualitative research in systematic reviews  was used. The CASP qualitative checklist was  used to assess study quality. The review was reported in accordance with PRIMSA and  ENTREQ guidelines. Results: Four themes  were identified: 1) Need for honesty and  transparency, 2) Poor use of language to  communicate diagnosis, 3) Seeking  information elsewhere, and 4) Carer reliance  for support and understanding. Patients and  carers desired honesty and openness from  their healthcare professionals and highlighted  the poor language used to communicate their  diagnosis. Some were dissatisfied with the  information received and actively searched for  information online. Carers played an integral  role in helping patients understand their  diagnosis and treatment. Conclusion and  Clinical Implications: This is the first review to  collate and analyse qualitative data on  people’s experiences of communicating a lung  cancer diagnosis. Our findings may hold  importance in supporting the development of  tailored communication strategies to better  understand and address patients’ and carers’  needs </p>