A Qualitative Case Study of the Experiences of Children With Cancer as They Learn About Their Diagnosis and Treatment

Each participant will complete two interview sessions with the primary investigator. Each interview will be conducted in a private, quiet room. Parents may choose to remain with the child during the interview if they would like, but only the responses of the child will be analyzed. Each interview session will last no more than one hour; if the child is not able to respond to each of the primary interview questions during this time, a second follow-up session will be scheduled so that the remainder of the questions can be answered. All interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed.

Observations help to give insights about interpersonal interactions, actions, non-verbal cues, and the activities and function of areas within the hospital. Three kinds of observation will be used: participant observation, non-participant observation, and guided activities. These observations will be conducted to learn more about the hospital environment as it intersects with the learning experiences of the participants.

"This study will use three different types of arts and play-based activities to give participants a variety of ways to express their thoughts and perceptions of what it is like to learn about their cancer diagnosis and treatment.~The first activity will be a guided medical play opportunity that prompts the child to use actual medical equipment while taking care of a doll.~For the second activity, the child will be given a digital camera to use and a prompt that asks them to photograph things and individuals in the hospital that have helped them to learn about their diagnosis and treatment.~The third activity will be an open-ended art prompt in which the child will create an artistic representation of what it means to have cancer and get treatment."