TY - JOUR
T1 - The evolution of regret
T2 - decision-making for parents of children with cancer
AU - Sisk, Bryan A.
AU - Kang, Tammy I.
AU - Mack, Jennifer W.
N1 - Funding Information:
JWM received American Cancer Society Mentored Research Scholar Grant MRSG-08-010-01-CPPB and 2007 American Society of Clinical Oncology Career Development Award. BAS received National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health UL1 TR002345.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2020/3/1
Y1 - 2020/3/1
N2 - Purpose: Parents of children with cancer make treatment decisions in highly emotional states while feeling overwhelmed with information. In previous work, 1 in 6 parents demonstrated heightened decisional regret regarding treatment at diagnosis. However, it is unclear how regret evolves over time. We aimed to determine whether parents of children with cancer experience decisional regret over time and to identify parental characteristics and clinician behaviors associated with longitudinal regret. Methods: Prospective, questionnaire-based cohort study of parents of children with cancer at two academic pediatric hospitals. Parents reported decisional regret at diagnosis, 4 months, and 12 months. Results: At baseline, 13% of parents (21/158) reported heightened regret, 11% (17/158) at 4 months (p = 0.43, McNemar’s test relative to baseline), and 11% (16/158) at 12 months (p = 0.35 relative to baseline and p = 0.84 relative to 4 months). In multivariable analysis using generalized estimating equations adjusted for the time point of survey completion, heightened regret was associated with non-white race/ethnicity (OR 11.57, 95% CI 3.53 to 41.05, p <.0001) and high anxiety (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.90, p =.04). Parents with high peace of mind (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.62, p =.003) and those reporting high-quality information (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.69, p = 0.01) had lower odds of heightened regret. We found no association between heightened regret and the time point of survey administration. Conclusions: A small, significant proportion of parents experience heightened regret throughout the first year of their child’s cancer treatment; non-white parents are at higher risk. Effective communication may protect against regret.
AB - Purpose: Parents of children with cancer make treatment decisions in highly emotional states while feeling overwhelmed with information. In previous work, 1 in 6 parents demonstrated heightened decisional regret regarding treatment at diagnosis. However, it is unclear how regret evolves over time. We aimed to determine whether parents of children with cancer experience decisional regret over time and to identify parental characteristics and clinician behaviors associated with longitudinal regret. Methods: Prospective, questionnaire-based cohort study of parents of children with cancer at two academic pediatric hospitals. Parents reported decisional regret at diagnosis, 4 months, and 12 months. Results: At baseline, 13% of parents (21/158) reported heightened regret, 11% (17/158) at 4 months (p = 0.43, McNemar’s test relative to baseline), and 11% (16/158) at 12 months (p = 0.35 relative to baseline and p = 0.84 relative to 4 months). In multivariable analysis using generalized estimating equations adjusted for the time point of survey completion, heightened regret was associated with non-white race/ethnicity (OR 11.57, 95% CI 3.53 to 41.05, p <.0001) and high anxiety (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.90, p =.04). Parents with high peace of mind (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.62, p =.003) and those reporting high-quality information (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.69, p = 0.01) had lower odds of heightened regret. We found no association between heightened regret and the time point of survey administration. Conclusions: A small, significant proportion of parents experience heightened regret throughout the first year of their child’s cancer treatment; non-white parents are at higher risk. Effective communication may protect against regret.
KW - Communication
KW - Decision-making
KW - Parent
KW - Pediatric oncology
KW - Psychosocial oncology
KW - Regret
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85069690395&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00520-019-04933-8
DO - 10.1007/s00520-019-04933-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 31297592
AN - SCOPUS:85069690395
SN - 0941-4355
VL - 28
SP - 1215
EP - 1222
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
IS - 3
ER -