Childhood Cancer Survivors and Distance Education Challenges: Lessons
Learned from the COVID19 Pandemic
Abstract
Background: Pediatric cancer patients and survivors have historically
struggled to receive adequate educational supports. In the Spring of
2020, the COVID19 pandemic forced an emergency switch from traditional
in-person education models to distance education. Methods: The current
study presents initial data from a quality improvement project which
included a round of qualitative interviews conducted with parents of
pediatric oncology patients at risk for educationally-relevant
neurocognitive impacts of disease or treatment. The focus of the
interviews was patient experiences of education and instructional
delivery during the COVID19 school closures in Spring of 2020 and the
beginning of the 2020-2021 school year; interviews were conducted via
videoconference and transcripts were analyzed using a phenomenological
approach. Results: Three emergent themes were found regarding the shared
experiences of distance schooling for children with cancer during the
COVID19 school closures: 1) attention, 2) mental health, and 3) access
to instruction. This study describes and explores each theme and offers
suggestions for changes to provider service delivery as a result of new
pandemic-related schooling needs.