Young People with Cancer and Hospital Care: How can hospital care promote wellbeing?

Young People with Cancer and Hospital Care: How can hospital care promote wellbeing? Suzanne Mooney Belfast Health & Social Care Trust and Queen’s University Belfast Study Background A diagnosis of cancer during adolescence and young adulthood significantly compromises young people’s quality of life and future life chances, their capacity for wellbeing complicated by their transitional life stage. Successful coping with this ‘dual crisis' demands the young person make sense of their experience, manage uncertainty, access personal and social resources, and sustain engagement with everyday life. Aims By examining the perspectives of two under-served populations of teenagers and young adults (TYAs) [16-20 and 20-24 years], their carers and multi-disciplinary professionals through the asset-orientated ‘stress-resource’ Sense of Coherence theoretical framework, this study investigates how hospital care can promote young people’s emotional wellbeing enhancing strengths and resources. It examines the importance of communication as central to effective healthcare, reflecting on the role of multi-disciplinary professionals as active participants in the evolving illness narrative of both young person and family. Methods The study adopts a qualitative narrative research design, actively engaging young people in service improvement. Three semi-structured interviews are undertaken with 16 young people over a 12-18 month period, exploring their emerging cancer care experience across paediatric and adult provision. Multi-media diaries capture TYA voices, offering a space to relate their illness narrative and providing insight to their social worlds. Supplementary semi-structured interviews are undertaken with primary carers [16] and hospital professionals [15]. Results Findings will inform NICE research recommendations by promoting understanding of the changing needs and experiences of young people over the treatment trajectory and identifying characteristics of optimal hospital care for this neglected patient group.