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Inter-Professional Caring for Children Who Are Relatives of Cancer Patients in Palliative Care: Perspectives of Doctors and Social Workers

Karidar, Hakima LU orcid and Glasdam, Stinne LU (2019) In British Journal of Social Work 49(3). p.595-614
Abstract
A palliative cancer diagnosis in a parent has a major impact on many aspects of patients’ children. This article aims to explore how doctors and social workers met children as relatives of a parent with cancer in order to understand the possibilities and difficulties in supporting children in specialised palliative homecare in Sweden. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews of doctors and social workers were conducted, inspired by Bourdieu. The findings showed that professionals had limited contact with patients’ children. Mono- and inter-professional meetings were organising structures for working days of doctors and social workers. Due to hierarchy positions, doctors often set the agenda in inter-professional teamwork. Doctors seldom met... (More)
A palliative cancer diagnosis in a parent has a major impact on many aspects of patients’ children. This article aims to explore how doctors and social workers met children as relatives of a parent with cancer in order to understand the possibilities and difficulties in supporting children in specialised palliative homecare in Sweden. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews of doctors and social workers were conducted, inspired by Bourdieu. The findings showed that professionals had limited contact with patients’ children. Mono- and inter-professional meetings were organising structures for working days of doctors and social workers. Due to hierarchy positions, doctors often set the agenda in inter-professional teamwork. Doctors seldom met patients’ children, only when information about parents’ cancer diseases were needed. Social workers were responsible for psycho-social issues, but mostly only special vulnerable families and their children were prioritised. Meetings between children and professionals were conditional on the parents’ permission and, even if permission was given, meetings seldom took place. Doctors and social workers were subject to the structural frame and a medical logic, which limited their interactions with children of the patients. Children were dependent on both their parents and professionals, who had the power to include or exclude them from parents’ illness situation. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Bourdieu, Social Worker, Physician, Palliative cancer care, Children as relatives, Interview Study
in
British Journal of Social Work
volume
49
issue
3
pages
20 pages
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85069264970
ISSN
0045-3102
DOI
10.1093/bjsw/bcy080
project
Children losing a parent
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
e0d6c4c5-9c24-40eb-ad8c-a58e9535cf34
date added to LUP
2018-09-26 15:59:15
date last changed
2023-10-06 10:01:26
@article{e0d6c4c5-9c24-40eb-ad8c-a58e9535cf34,
  abstract     = {{A palliative cancer diagnosis in a parent has a major impact on many aspects of patients’ children. This article aims to explore how doctors and social workers met children as relatives of a parent with cancer in order to understand the possibilities and difficulties in supporting children in specialised palliative homecare in Sweden. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews of doctors and social workers were conducted, inspired by Bourdieu. The findings showed that professionals had limited contact with patients’ children. Mono- and inter-professional meetings were organising structures for working days of doctors and social workers. Due to hierarchy positions, doctors often set the agenda in inter-professional teamwork. Doctors seldom met patients’ children, only when information about parents’ cancer diseases were needed. Social workers were responsible for psycho-social issues, but mostly only special vulnerable families and their children were prioritised. Meetings between children and professionals were conditional on the parents’ permission and, even if permission was given, meetings seldom took place. Doctors and social workers were subject to the structural frame and a medical logic, which limited their interactions with children of the patients. Children were dependent on both their parents and professionals, who had the power to include or exclude them from parents’ illness situation.}},
  author       = {{Karidar, Hakima and Glasdam, Stinne}},
  issn         = {{0045-3102}},
  keywords     = {{Bourdieu; Social Worker; Physician; Palliative cancer care; Children as relatives; Interview Study}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{595--614}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{British Journal of Social Work}},
  title        = {{Inter-Professional Caring for Children Who Are Relatives of Cancer Patients in Palliative Care: Perspectives of Doctors and Social Workers}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcy080}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/bjsw/bcy080}},
  volume       = {{49}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}