Telephone-Delivered Palliative Care Program Supports Families Facing Advanced Cancer
Published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, a randomized controlled trial evaluated the Enhancing Connections Palliative Care (EC-PC) Program, a telephone-delivered intervention designed to support parents with non-curable, advanced-stage cancer and their children. Parents in the intervention group participated in five educational counseling sessions focused on communication, emotional support, and parenting skills, while the control group received written educational materials and a brief phone call.
The study found that parents who participated in the EC-PC program showed significant improvements in parenting and communication skills compared with controls, helping them better support their children through difficult conversations and emotional challenges related to advanced cancer. Researchers also observed improvements in parenting self-efficacy, mood, and children’s behavioral-emotional adjustment within the intervention group. The findings suggest the fully manualized, telephone-based program may offer a scalable approach to supporting families coping with advanced cancer.