Caregiver Well-being and the Quality of Cancer Care

Abstract

Objectives: To conceptualize the pathways and assess current evidence for the relationship between caregiver well-being and the quality of the cancer patient's care.

Data sources: Qualitative, quantitative, and theoretical literature and official reports.

Conclusion: Caregiver well-being has both direct and indirect effects on the quality of cancer care, including care received from the health care team, from the caregiver themselves, and in relation to patients' own self-management.

Implications for nursing practice: Supporting caregivers has tangible consequences with regard to the quality of cancer care on multiple levels, with direct implications for patient outcomes. Nurses have a key role in providing psychosocial care to patients and their caregivers, and in supporting system-level change.

Keywords: cancer; care quality; caregiver; caregiving; well-being.