Qualitative Study Builds a Preliminary Skill Model for Lung Cancer Caregivers

Researchers in Shenzhen, China, have developed a preliminary conceptual framework describing the skills that informal caregivers of people with lung cancer need, based on semi-structured interviews analyzed with grounded theory methods. The study, published as open access research in BMC Cancer, recruited 23 participants from the oncology department of a single tertiary hospital between April and May 2024.

The participants comprised 16 lung cancer caregivers and 7 health personnel from the oncology department, recruited through purposive sampling.

From this analysis the team extracted six categories grouped under the overarching theme of “care ability,” together with 46 free nodes, the finer-grained codes sitting beneath those categories. According to the model, basic ability, encompassing knowledge and skills, forms the prerequisite for care ability. Expansion abilities, including personal quality, the caregiver’s own physical and mental health, utilization of family and community resources, and continuity of care, serve as additional dimensions that together contribute to the outcome of care.

The structure implies that caregiving competence is not limited to technical tasks. Alongside practical knowledge and skills, the framework highlights the caregiver’s personal qualities and psychological and physical wellbeing, as well as the ability to draw on support from family and community networks and to sustain care over time as contributing dimensions of effective caregiving.

The authors emphasize that the model should be considered a preliminary, context-specific conceptual framework rather than a validated instrument. The single-center design and the relatively small qualitative sample limit the generalizability of the findings, and the framework provides exploratory theoretical and practical guidance for improving the care ability of lung cancer caregivers. The team states that further validation in larger, multi-center, and cross-cultural studies is required.

The stated objective of the work was to explore the theoretical framework of a lung cancer caregiver skill model and lay a foundation for follow-up practical research. As an exploratory qualitative study, it reports a theoretical structure derived from interview data; it does not test an intervention or measure whether training based on the model improves caregiver or patient outcomes.

Subject of Research: Construction of a grounded-theory skill model for lung cancer caregivers

Article Title: Research on the construction of a skill model of lung cancer caregivers based on grounded theory

Article References: Li, G., Qi, Y., Li, H., You, L., Chen, Y., Ye, M., Yang, W., Hu, G., Asghar, A., & Zhong, Y. (2026). Research on the construction of a skill model of lung cancer caregivers based on grounded theory. BMC Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-026-17240-3

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12885-026-17240-3

Keywords: lung cancer, caregivers, grounded theory, qualitative research, skill model, oncology, semi-structured interviews, care ability, BMC Cancer, Shenzhen, Research, construction