Enhancing caregiver outcomes in palliative care.

BACKGROUND Families are increasingly replacing skilled health care workers in the delivery of unfamiliar complex care to their relatives with cancer, despite other obligations and responsibilities that characterize their lives. METHODS The authors review the needs of cancer caregivers and describe intervention strategies not only presented in the literature, but also implemented in their own program of research to address those needs during the palliative phase of cancer. RESULTS Research suggests that developing interventions that teach caregivers to become proficient in the physical and psychological aspects of patient care will benefit both patients and caregivers. CONCLUSIONS Despite the fact that a cancer diagnosis can cause major changes in family roles and functioning,as well as increased responsibility for complex care being absorbed by family caregivers, data supporting the effectiveness of caregiver interventions have been limited.