Pediatric Cancer and the Internet: Exploring the Gap in Doctor-Parents Communication

The aim of this study is to examine the use of the Internet to obtain information by parents of children with cancer and how pediatric oncologists understand this new scenario and the shifting relationship between patients and doctors. With this goal in mind, we conducted two surveys: one was answered by 110 parents of pediatric cancer patients and another one was answered by 74 oncologists, members of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (SEHOP). Less than half of the surveyed parents (44.5 %) looked for information on the Internet, while 55.5 % preferred not to do it. In addition, 87.3 % of the parents explain that their doctors did not recommend any Internet resources. Among the oncologists’ sample, 68.9 % of the respondents did not recommend seeking information on the Internet, but they would consider it desirable for the patients to be guided in the search (82.4 %). These results show some degree of dissent between the parents’ needs and the oncologists’ attitudes. Higher interaction between these two agents would be recommended in order to achieve better information and cooperation in the therapeutic protocols.