Hospice Nurse Communication with Patients with Cancer and their Family Caregivers

Background: Effective communication by hospice nurses enhances symptom management for the patient, reduces family caregiver burden and distress, and potentially improves bereavement adjustment. However, research has not kept pace with the rising use of hospice by patients with cancer and thus we know little about how hospice nurses communicate. Methods: The overriding objective of this pilot study was to provide insight into these in-home visits. Hospice nurses audiorecorded their interactions over time with family caregivers and patients with cancer. The communication within these tapes was coded using Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) and analyzed. Results: We found that tape recording home hospice nurse visits was feasible. RIAS was suited to capture the general content and process of the home hospice encounter and the coded interactions show the range of topics and emotions that are evident in the dialogue. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.