Family Caregiver Dynamics in Oncology Care
Summary
Family caregivers play a central role in the continuum of cancer care, providing emotional support, coordinating clinical appointments, managing treatment side effects and navigating complex healthcare systems. They often assume responsibilities ranging from medication administration and symptom monitoring to advocacy and decision-making alongside patients and clinicians. These multifaceted tasks can impose significant physical, psychological and financial strain, yet caregivers also report feelings of fulfilment and strengthened relationships. Research has begun to characterise the ebb and flow of caregiver stress across treatment phases, as well as factors that foster resilience, such as social support networks and effective clinician–caregiver communication. A growing emphasis on person-centred care has led to the development of interventions that recognise caregivers as partners in oncology teams, signalling a shift from reactive support towards proactive empowerment and integration within formal care pathways.
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Family Caregiver Dynamics in Oncology Care publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in family caregiver dynamics in oncology care across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Caregiver burden: the physical, emotional and social strain experienced by individuals providing unpaid care to patients with serious illness.
eHealth interventions: digital platforms and tools designed to deliver education, support and self-management resources to patients and caregivers remotely.
Dyadic intervention: a therapeutic or educational approach targeting both the patient and their caregiver to enhance shared outcomes and communication.
Telemedicine: the remote provision of healthcare services and support via telecommunications technologies, extending care beyond traditional clinical settings.
References
- Development of Web-Based Education Modules to Improve Carer Engagement in Cancer Care: Design and User Experience Evaluation of the e-Triadic Oncology (eTRIO) Modules for Clinicians, Patients, and Carers. JMIR Medical Education (2024).
- Effects of Telemedicine on Informal Caregivers of Patients in Palliative Care: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JMIR mHealth and uHealth (2024).
- Interventions to improve outcomes for caregivers of patients with advanced cancer: a meta-analysis. Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2023).
- Caring for caregivers and patients: Research and clinical priorities for informal cancer caregiving. Cancer (2016).
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