What is known about healthcare professional-patient communication when discussing stem cell therapies? A scoping review

Objectives
When therapeutic options are limited, patients may invest hope in therapies proposed by healthcare professional, or those they find online. This review aims to explore how healthcare professional–patient communication is realised when discussing stem cell therapies.

Method
Four electronic databases were systematically searched for relevant studies. Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. Descriptive analyses and a thematic analysis guided by a functions of medical communication framework were performed on extracted data.

Results
Most included studies addressed communication in contexts of conventional stem cell therapies, such as bone marrow transplants for blood cancers. Few studies investigated communication in contexts of experimental stem cell therapies yet to receive regulatory approval. Two themes were identified as informational and relational aspects of communication, and a third theme being a mismatch in orientations.

Conclusions
Communication between healthcare professionals and patients about stem cell therapies is practised using a combination of communication approaches that do not always align with patients’ needs, hopes or expectations.

Practice implications
The context of healthcare settings and health conditions are important when communicating about stem cell therapies. Acknowledging healthcare professionals’ environmental and personal determinants can inform strategies to navigate complex discussions about stem cell therapies with patients.